Until It Was Too Late
by Rise of the Blossom
Summary: Her life had never been easy to say the least, but what will happen when both new and old enemies show up? Will she lose everyone she loves, or will Sakura be able to stop them before that happens?
1. Surprise!

**Warning: Sequel to** _They Never Knew_.

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**Until It Was Too Late  
**By: Helennnn

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**Chapter 1 – Surprise!**

As everybody knows, Haruno Sakura's life has never been easy. It hasn't always been filled with smiles and happiness and there were times she wished she could take back the things she had done more than anything. Some of the things she had done, or had been done to her, were downright disgusting.

This was _not_ one of those times.

Right now, the smile on her face had never been brighter and Sakura couldn't help but let her happiness show as she readied herself for the night ahead of her.

It had been almost a whole year since she and Gaara moved into their condo together and whilst it had been a little hard getting used to living together at first, neither of them had any regrets. How could they? Every day they woke up next to the person they loved with all their hearts, they went to work – or college – where they had always wanted to, and then at night, they returned to each other.

Yes, there were times when things weren't so easy, when Sakura would act irrationally and get jealous or Gaara would be a little too protective (bordering on possessive), but at the end of the day, they loved each other. Well, that and the make up sex was… just wow.

Sakura was still at college and still under the tutelage of Tsunade, but she was very close to passing the first part of her course early. Nobody put more effort into their work than she did. Each and every day, Sakura put one hundred and ten percent into what she wanted to do more than anything. What she wanted was to help others like her, those who were suffering in silence like she had.

As for Gaara, he was already the president of the Sabaku Corporation. Just six months after becoming the vice president, Temari had promoted him to president, saying that he more than deserved it. And he really did. Since he had started to work there, Gaara had matured and everybody who worked at the company loved working for him. So far, he was the second youngest (Temari took the title as _the_ youngest) to take control of Sabaku Corporation, but he did it so much better than his father ever had and many people had told him so.

Right now, as Sakura slipped on a crimson floor–length dress that clung to her curves, she couldn't wipe the smile off of her face. It was her birthday and the dress was one of many gifts from Gaara. It revealed her back, had a halter–neck of sorts and the dark crimson colour made her skin tone stand out beautifully. It pooled around her feet, dragging behind her ever so slightly as she walked. The dress made her feel like a celebrity or a model! Damn she loved it when Gaara bought her things. It was like he knew exactly what to get her.

The halter–neck part of the dress that went around her neck was almost like a collar, but the slit down the chest revealed her cleavage, whilst still managing to look tasteful and keep her covered. As well as that, there were also diamonds on the collar and around her waist, although there weren't too many on the waist that it looked too much, only an inch or two of them. The slit up her thigh made Sakura's legs look so much longer and as she slipped on the matching diamond encrusted heels (a gift from Temari), she couldn't even deny that she felt beautiful. A part of her wondered if the three siblings had coordinated their gifts because from Kankuro, Sakura had two diamond encrusted cuffs, each long enough to hide her scars.

She was no longer ashamed of her scars, for they showed that despite everything, somehow, Sakura had pulled through. However, she still preferred to keep them covered during parties or dinners or balls. It stopped people from asking too many questions or staring.

Looking at herself in the mirror, Sakura grinned. She and Ino had spent the entire day together at the spa and then at a salon. The blonde had been pretty mysterious all day, asking weird questions and whatnot, but Sakura had barely paid attention. Her mind had been on other things… like how Gaara had woken her up that morning before he had to leave for work. Just remembering how he had touched her had Sakura growing warm and her breathing growing shallow. The things that man could do with his tongue never failed to make her tingle all over! And after making love to her, he had brought her breakfast in bed along with her presents and with him was Ao, who had jumped straight onto the bed and cuddled in between her and Gaara. It was strange, but in a way, she thought of the dog as their child. Though she would never tell Gaara that.

Her hair was once again mid–length, though Sakura hadn't wanted to cut it again. Having short hair had been nice, but it had been difficult to put up and keep out of her face. Quickly assessing her straightened hair and her makeup, Sakura nodded once to herself. She was wearing false lashes, a hint of eyeliner and had dark eyeshadow, making her eye colour stand out. Because of the dramatic, dark eyes, she had gone easy on the lipstick, choosing to stick with a barely tinted red gloss.

Finally ready, she grabbed her clutch bag and left the bedroom, switching off the lights as she did so.

Standing in the middle of their living room was Gaara and when he saw her, he gave her the smile that he saved only for her. It was a smile that never failed to make her heart skip a beat and her own smile show. Was it even possible to be so in love?

She was in Gaara's arms in an instant, his lips ghosting over her own. "You're so beautiful."

"You don't look too bad yourself." she whispered in response.

Indeed he didn't. Gaara had actually put a lot of effort into his outfit tonight – which kind of surprised Sakura. He was actually wearing a tuxedo! Damn he looked good in them.

"We should get going."

"Did I really take that long getting ready?" Sakura asked, genuinely surprised that she had taken so long.

Gaara shook his head and gave her his devilish smirk. "No, but if we stay here any longer, I'm going to tear that dress off your body."

Sakura nodded almost numbly, wanting nothing more for him to actually do that, but at the same time, she was dying to see where he was taking her. Deciding to push her luck, Sakura smirked and pressed her lips to his before pulling away and walking over to Ao.

"Be a good boy, Ao." she told him as she scratched his head. In response, he gave her a lazy look. "And no sitting on the sofa!"

Oh she was so onto that dog. Whenever both she and Gaara left, Sakura knew that he sat on the sofa and just lazed about. She couldn't blame him. No dog liked being locked in a house all day, but Ao really didn't seem to mind. Besides, Sakura always made time during the day to take him for two or three walks – which was a hell of a lot more than what some dogs got.

And then, they were outside stepping into a limousine. Now Sakura was _really_ curious. Gaara never liked letting people take them places, he preferred it when he was the one who was driving. He didn't even like it when Sakura was driving. Although, that wasn't saying much. Nobody liked it when she drove.

She had terrible road rage.

Sakura smirked as she remembered a time when she, Gaara and Naruto had been in her car, with her driving. They were both already wary the moment they got in, so when somebody pulled out right in front of her, almost making them crash, Sakura had lost it. A barely audible giggle escaped her, earning her a strange look from Gaara. The person in the other car had gotten out, ready to apologise, but she had been way too angry, yelling things like "are you an idiot?" and "what the hell is wrong with you?". Oh, Sakura had been ready to beat the crap out of that guy, but Naruto had dragged her back to the car whilst Gaara got into the driver's seat.

Since then, neither had asked her to drive.

Ugh, men. If they thought that _her _road rage was bad, then they should see Tsunade's.

It felt like only minutes later that they arrived, the sight of the grand building making Sakura's eyes widened. She knew of this place! It was where the greatest, most formal events were held. Like last year's Hyuuga formal dinner party! Surely Gaara hadn't managed to book this place just for her?

"Gaara…"

His lips brushed her ear, his breath washing over her as he whispered, "Happy birthday, Sakura."

She didn't know what to say. Part of her wanted to squeal with excitement whilst the other part of her was in shock and didn't know what to do with herself. So, Sakura let Gaara guide her through the many people standing near the entrance and it took her only a couple of minutes to recognise them as paparazzi. Damn she hated those guys. However Sakura wasn't surprised that they were there. The Sabaku family were extremely powerful and ever since Gaara had taken control, the paparazzi were just about everywhere. Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration, but she and Gaara were still put into at least one magazine or paper every month or two and online, there was a new picture of them pretty much every three days.

They entered the large building when the doors were held open for them, the doormen smiling politely at her and nodding once to Gaara. It was beautiful on the inside! The ceiling was a dome shape made of glass, allowing her to see the starry sky and the ground was made of black and grey marble. It seemed pretty empty at the moment, though. Had Gaara booked the place for only them? It seemed like something he would do, since he didn't enjoy crowds all that much, but he and Naruto had become quite good friends over the past year so it would be a surprise if he hadn't invited him.

Putting her hand into the crook of his arm, Sakura allowed him to lead her to wherever they were going. She loved surprises!

"Where are you taking me?" she smiled, looking around the the dome shaped building in awe. There were intricate paintings, vases and statues everywhere.

It was breathtaking.

Gaara simply smirked. "You will have to be patient and wait to find out."

"Just tell me!"

"No."

"Please?" when she received no answer, Sakura tried pouting, but it didn't work. It hardly ever worked on Gaara. "Fine!"

It was only a minute later that they arrived outside of two tall mahogany doors and on each side of the doors were two doormen. Like the others, they smiled politely before almost dramatically opening the doors.

"_Surprise_!"

She could only stare with wide eyes and a slack jaw. Somewhere, in the back of her mind, Sakura was telling herself to close her mouth, that the sight couldn't be attractive, but she couldn't. All she do was stare at the sight before her.

She and Gaara were on a balcony, looking down at what seemed like hundreds of people as they all shouted up "surprise" to her. Already, Sakura had spotted a few of her friends and her parents. Also, she wasn't too sure, but she could have sworn that that was Tsunade at the bar. The only reason she guessed it was her was because the blonde had thrown a hand up in the air and yelled "surprise". There was always something about the way Tsunade shouted that made you _know_ for a fact it was her.

Beside her, Gaara smirked, feeling rather proud of himself. It hadn't been his idea for the party, but the surprise part of it had been his idea. It was Temari who came up with the idea for a party, saying that Sakura needed to let her hair down once in a while. Sure, it wasn't the type of party Temari had in mind, but they had to keep in mind that Sakura didn't like drinking (couldn't drink) alcohol anymore. It often made her mood changes much worse and didn't mix very well with her medication.

Sakura barely even noticed when Gaara started to guide her down the stairs. When they had left their home, she had thought they would be going out for a romantic dinner, not this. This was…

It was perfect.

"Thank you." she whispered, her eyes drifting up to meet his.

In response, his smirk changed into a soft smile, one that was barely even noticeable, yet she knew it was there. "You deserve it."

Oh how Sakura just wanted to kiss him, but she knew that Gaara didn't like public displays of affection. They made him uncomfortable.

The moment they reached the bottom of the stairs, a blond was swinging her around in a bear hug, almost squeezing the breath out of her. Sakura couldn't help but hug him back, though. Over the past year, her and Naruto's friendship had grown just as strong as it once had been. They were both over what had happened between them, although they would never forget about it. They loved each other, but it was in a way best friends loved each other.

"Happy birthday, Sakura–chan!"

"Naruto, put me down!" Sakura grinned as her feet once again touched the ground and Gaara put his hand on her waist to steady her. Then, as her eyes caught sight of his outfit, she rolled her eyes. "An orange tie? Really?"

Naruto grinned. By now, everybody had gone back to their conversations, although a few people had started to make their way over to her. They were all dressed up just as much as her, though Sakura certainly felt like the most beautiful tonight. Perhaps it was because of the way Gaara kept looking at her? Did he even know he was looking at her like that? It was making her heart beat faster and Sakura just about managed to stop from throwing herself at him.

"Don't you like it?" Naruto pouted, feigning hurt. "Hinata picked it out for me!"

Sakura raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "She did? And why am I having a hard time believing that?"

Since the end of school, Naruto and Hinata had become good friends and not too long after, they had fallen in love. Well, Naruto realised Hinata's feelings for him were a bit (_a lot_) stronger than just friendship. At first he had been unsure. He didn't want to ruin their friendship and risk something happening between them like what had happened between him and Sakura. Sakura had felt awful for weeks seeing the saddened look in his eyes. Eventually though, Naruto had decided to take a risk, saying she was worth it.

Next week, it was going to be their sixth month anniversary of being together.

The next person to hug her was Hinata. She looked stunning in her knee–length lavender dress. It had a high neckline and sleeves, though it didn't surprise Sakura all that much. Hinata had never liked revealing her body to people. Well, to everyone except Naruto. She was from a traditional family and followed their beliefs.

"You look beautiful, Sakura–san." Hinata told her quietly before releasing her. "I hope you have had a good day, so far."

There was a mischievous twinkle in the Hyuuga's eyes, making Sakura narrow her own before smiling. Were there more surprises? Oh God she hoped so! "Thank you. So do you! And it's been great. Ino and I went to the spa and salon for the day. You should have joined us!"

Hinata only smiled and shook her head. "I was busy today. Perhaps we could go some other time?"

"Definitely."

Naruto put his arm around Hinata's waist, pulling her against him. "Come on, Hinata! I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry, Naruto–kun."

As the couple walked away towards the food, Sakura couldn't help but smile. It was only seconds later, however, when another couple approached her.

Ino and Sai had stayed together during the past year, though it really surprised Sakura that they had. The blonde had complained about him a few hundred times, saying he was too clueless and she was coming close to ending it all. They managed to pull through it though. You would only have to look at them to know that they were madly in love with one another. Well, if you were fortunate enough not to walk in on them when they were having sex you did. Sakura shuddered at the memory. BDSM seriously was not her thing. Yes every now and then, she enjoyed being dominated by Gaara, but there was a limit. Anything like how those two went at it and it was a no. She just wouldn't be able to handle being tied down and whipped or whatever the hell they did now.

"Forehead!"

Sakura rolled her eyes, putting a hand on her hip as she replied, "Pig."

They grinned before Ino jumped straight into gossip, telling her who was here, why they were here, and the latest gossip she had heard about them. Even though they had finished school, the girl was still a bitch. Sakura didn't mean it in a horrible way, it was just the truth. Even after all this time, nobody dared to get in Ino's way. Nobody except for Sai, that is. He seemed to find it rather amusing to annoy her.

Now, Sai was an artist and had his own studio whilst Ino owned three businesses. One she had taken over from her parents – the flower shop. She loved it too much to allow it to close it down when they decided to retire much earlier than planned and travel the world. As well as that, Ino also had her own fashion line (which she had been planning since they were just kids!), which was now so famous that celebrities and royals had started wearing her designs. The third business was her own magazine (although that was joined to her fashion line). Sakura had her own column in it, though it had taken Ino months for Sakura to agree to it. The column was almost like an agony aunt page, people write to her, asking what they should do and Sakura helped as best as she could. It wasn't just relationship advice that they asked her for, it was also for advice for the mentally unstable, those who wished to be anonymous.

Once Ino had let Sakura and Gaara go, the couple made their way around the room, greeting people, speaking to them for a few minutes before moving onto the next guest. There were so many people here! All of her old friends from school had come to wish her happy birthday as well as her parents, Gaara's siblings, Itachi, Tsunade, even Kakashi!

It wasn't until halfway through the night that Sakura spotted somebody sitting a bit away from the others. Well, more like he was leaning against the far wall, simply watching people. There were two people beside him, Itachi and Kakashi. They were also the type of people who didn't particularly enjoy crowded events such as this one. It made her grateful that they had all turned up.

"So, how are you three loners doing?"

Kakashi sighed, though there was a smile beneath his mask like always. "You're still so mean to me, Sakura–chan."

She grinned at them all, though for the moment, she was speaking with Kakashi. Gaara wasn't with her now as he had told her that there was something he needed to do. "Would you prefer wallflower?"

"I might." he pouted, turning his head away like a sulking child.

Rolling her eyes, Sakura looked at the next person. "I'm glad you came, Itachi! I don't see you as often as I would like."

They had both been rather busy, but Itachi agreed. "I have a day off next week if you wish to meet for lunch."

It didn't even take her a second to agree, making him smile at her. Then, her eyes drifted to the next person. "Sasuke."

Things hadn't been very easy between them to say the least, especially when she heard who had offered him a job. _Again_. Orochimaru. Just thinking of that vile man made her shudder with disgust, made goosebumps break out across her body and the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. It was because of that monster that so many bad things had happened.

"Sakura."

Thankfully, however, Sasuke never accepted Orochimaru's offer. He instead continued with what his father had wanted. Now, Sasuke and Itachi both owned the Uchiha Company, together.

She couldn't help but roll her eyes as she moved forward and hugged him, chuckling softly at how he mumbled "you're so annoying" under his breath. They were best friends once again now that Sasuke had managed to get over her, though there were times when Sakura worried he _wasn't_ over her. She didn't like it when he was in pain or sad.

"I'm glad you all came." she told them honestly, pulling away from Sasuke after a moment. "Even if you are simply leaning on the wall, being all antisocial and whatnot." Sakura paused for a moment before asking, "Didn't any of you bring dates? I was told that everyone was allowed to bring a date with them."

They all shook their heads.

Just when she was about to say something else, Itachi's eyes locked onto something, a small smile lifting his lips as they did. Curious, Sakura followed his gaze, only to pause in stunned silence as she saw Gaara take to the stage.

What was he doing? Despite being the president of the Sabaku Corporation, he hated giving speeches. He hated having everybody's attention on him.

"What is he doing?"

Everybody fell silent when they caught sight of the redhead and Sakura didn't miss how some of her friends immediately looked over in her direction, some with the same mischievous look that Hinata had had in her eyes, whilst others looked… anxious?

"Sakura." Gaara called out to her, his eyes locked on hers as he did.

Seeing what he wanted, despite him not actually asking, Sakura made her way to the stage, barely even mumbling a goodbye to the three behind her, two of who chuckled at her, whereas the other merely lowered his eyes to the ground as his fists clenched tightly. Sakura didn't notice. All she could see were the people in front of her, the ones staring at her curiously as she finally reached the stage. And then, all she could see was Gaara.

Gaara met her at the top of the stairs, surprising her once again by taking her hand and bringing her over to the centre of the stage. He didn't let go of it for a second. If anything, he tightened his hold. Her breathing stopped. Why was he nervous? What could possibly make _Gaara_ nervous?

Oh God…

He turned towards her, looking into her eyes with a look much different to his usual one. His usually impassive eyes held a softer look, a look of love and nervousness. It was putting her on edge. Why was Gaara nervous?

Was he going to…?

Still holding her hand, Gaara spoke. "Haruno Sakura," his voice was quiet, yet everybody heard each word thanks to the microphone next to them, "you have to be the most stubborn, determined and annoying person I have ever met." she squeezed his hand in warning, but Gaara paid no attention. "But you're also passionate, strong–willed and loving. If you hadn't made such an effort to reach out to me, I would still be the person I was two years ago."

Tears filled Sakura's eyes. She had a feeling that she knew where this was going.

"Nothing has ever been easy for us, but you especially." by now, the hand holding hers was tightening slightly, telling her that he was growing more nervous. She smiled at him in encouragement, telling him with her eyes to continue. "Despite everything though, you keep fighting and proving people wrong. You put others before yourself all of the time, making sure that they're happy, not caring about yourself for a single moment."

Slowly, Gaara reached into his pocket, revealing a small, black box and in the audience, Sakura could have sworn that she heard Ino squeal, very much like Sakura was inwardly doing. Gaara released her hand but kept their eyes locked as he opened the box, making her eyes widen as she saw the ring.

"I want to spend the rest of our lives making you happy," he murmured, "because you deserve it."

Her mouth opened once again, but no words would come.

"Sakura," Gaara gave her the smile he always saved for her and Sakura knew for a fact that she heard many women (some men, too) swoon, "will you marry me?"

Tears fell from her eyes, but Sakura barely noticed as she grinned at him, nodding quickly and throwing her arms around him. She was trembling softly against him and Gaara couldn't help but let out a shaky sigh of relief. He had been so worried about her saying no! Not to mention speaking of his feelings in front of so many people had been… Well, it had definitely been something he had never done before.

"Yes." she whispered, kissing his cheek as she pulled away, looking down at the ring. "I'll marry you."

Normally, Sakura would have made a sarcastic remark, something along the lines of "of course I'll marry you – somebody has to" but nothing would come to her. The ring was beautiful and it looked familiar to her, like she had seen it somewhere before and when Gaara slipped it onto her ring finger, it suddenly came to her where she had seen it before.

"This ring…" Sakura was once again wide eyed, barely even hearing the cheers erupting from the crowd, mostly from Naruto and Ino. "This was your mother's ring!"

Gaara nodded, though didn't say anything.

The rest of the night was a blur to Sakura. So many people had come up to her and Gaara, congratulating them both on their engagement. Her parents had been a little teary eyed as they approached them, Mebuki hugging her tightly whilst Kazashi shook Gaara's hand. Her father had told her that he already knew Gaara was going to propose, that he had already asked for his permission.

Temari and Kankuro had both hugged her, the latter having grown out of his dislike for Sakura quite a while ago. He now treated her like she belonged with his family. They had also told her that their mother would have wanted Sakura to have the ring, which was why, when they found out Gaara wanted to make her his wife, they had given him the ring. Gaara had never gotten the chance to know his mother, so was extremely grateful when his siblings told him that their mother would be proud of him.

It seemed like only minutes after agreeing to marry Gaara that they were home. The entire journey was silent and Sakura couldn't stop staring at her ring finger, a smile obvious on her lips. It was vintage, yet beautiful. There were small designs around the centre diamond and it seemed like the lights danced off of it.

She loved it.

"I love you." she suddenly told him the moment they entered their bedroom. Gaara watched Sakura with a soft smile as she slipped off her heels and removed her bracelet–cuffs before facing him. There was an impish smile playing around her lips as she did. "Help me undress?"

His smile turned into a smirk as he approached her and brushed her hair over her shoulder. As his hands moved over her back, going for the clasps on the diamond studded collar around her neck and to the zip holding the bottom half of the dress together, Gaara pressed kisses against her shoulder and neck, listening as her breathing grew shallow.

When her dress slipped to the ground, leaving her in nothing more than a pair of lacy underwear, Gaara couldn't stop his hands from moving over her body, stroking their way around her waist and pulling her back against his chest. Her hands were on his as he cupped her breasts and Sakura tilted her head to the side as he pressed his lips against her neck once again, though this time in a much more passionate kiss.

"Make love to me, Gaara."

Could you even say 'no' to that softly spoken demand? Gaara didn't think that it would be possible to do so. So, he turned her around to face him, capturing her lips in a tender kiss as he guided her towards the bed, dropping onto it with her whilst she worked on removing his clothes.

Soon, soft sighs and gasps turned into moans as they became one, as they showed the other just how much they loved them through their actions. Gaara's hand stroked its way up her thigh before lifting it ever so slightly and moving against her body with slow and deep thrusts, watching as Sakura closed her eyes and arched into him, her mouth falling open as she did. He couldn't resist the temptation to kiss her, loving how Sakura responded to him without a second of hesitation, loving the feeling of her tongue caressing his.

Neither of them could think of a time when they had felt so happy before.

Perhaps, starting from today, they could be this happy all of the time.

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**A/N - Bit of a slow start, I'll admit that. But it gets better!**

**Oh and somebody is turning** _They Never Knew_** into a Sims 2 movie! The introduction/trailer has been posted already, so if you want to see it, just click on the link on my profile!**

**I was going to wait until October 31st before posting (no idea why), but I got so excited because I'm in a really good mood. All my coursework is complete and I'm on top of everything for now!**

**Anyways, tell me what you think of the first chapter! Too much fluff? Not enough drama?**

**HOPE YOU ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!**


	2. The Secretary

**Chapter 2 – The Secretary**

Sakura couldn't stop smiling as the memory from the night before kept playing in her mind over and over again. She still couldn't believe that Gaara had gone so out of his way for her. He had even pushed aside how he felt about public displays of affection and _proposed_ to her in front of everyone! What would he have done if she had said no? Not that Sakura would have said no, but still.

Honestly, whenever Sakura had imagined him proposing to her (there was no point in pretending like she had never done it), she had always thought of it being just the two of them. It would have been romantic, yet still pretty simple at the same time. However, now, Sakura couldn't imagine a more perfect way than last night. Gaara knew her so well.

Although he tried not to, Gaara had woken her up this morning when leaving for work. It wasn't his fault. If she had been anyone else, she never would have woken up. Since it _was_ her, however, Sakura had woken up the moment she felt him get out of bed. It hadn't always been that way. Before everything that had happened, Sakura had slept like the dead and it had been close to impossible waking her up.

It was the weekend, so she thankfully didn't have to be up and out so early. In a way Sakura felt sorry for Gaara. Being the president of a company was stressful and he only got one day a week off and spent most of that day sleeping. Both Temari and Kankuro helped out as much as they could and were there almost as much as Gaara, but they still couldn't do half of the things he had to do.

Grabbing her laptop, Sakura leaned back against the sofa and sighed, switching it on as she did. There was a gentle breeze coming through the opened doors of the balcony, making her feel relaxed and allowing Ao to come in and out as he pleased. Right now, he was settling for sleeping out on the balcony. She and Gaara only ever opened those doors – or unlocked them – when either one or both of them was in the living room, which was where the balcony doors were. Yes, it would be extremely difficult for somebody to climb up to their balcony, especially since they were so high up, but it wasn't impossible and it was better to be safe than to be sorry.

Her fingers tapped the keys of her laptop impatiently, trying to remember what her password was to her email account. It was like this almost every single time she tried to log in when it had been a while and it never failed to annoy her. Gaara knew her password just in case she could never remember it, but it was embarrassing having to ask him for it. She growled with annoyance, setting the laptop down onto the coffee table and moving over to the entertainment unit, turning on the docking station. It was silent for a few moments before music started to play and she surprised for a moment that it wasn't one of her CDs playing, but one of Gaara's. He rarely ever had time to just sit around listening to music anymore.

_Now it seems I'm fading  
All my dreams are not worth saving  
I've done my share of waiting  
And I've still got nowhere else to go  
So I wait for you to  
Take me all the way  
Take me all the way_

Sakura had grown to love Three Days Grace, whereas previously she only liked a few of their songs. Her favourite song by them was definitely 'Never Too Late' or 'Wake Up', but she liked this song too.

_Seems you're wanting me to stay  
But my dreams would surely waste away  
And I still have nowhere else to go  
So I wait for you to  
Take me all the way  
Take me all the way…_

Looking through their large collection of music, Sakura bit her lip, her finger running along the cases. After a moment, however, she sighed and stood up straight, placing her hands on her hips as she frowned at the CD cases. Ever get that feeling that something blatantly obvious was staring right at you, yet you can't see it? Sakura had that feeling.

_Push me under  
Pull me further  
Take me all the way  
Take me all the way_

_Push me under  
Pull me further  
Take me all the way  
Take me all the way_

Her eyes narrowed further, trying to think until suddenly, her eyes widened as they fell on a certain CD case. God she was so ditzy sometimes! Running over to her laptop, she sat down and typed in her password, grinning to herself as she was immediately allowed access to her email account. It was so obvious that it would have had something to do with her favourite band, Thirty Seconds To Mars. It was probably why she had set it in the first place.

_Now it seems you're leaving  
But we've only just begun  
And you've still got nowhere else to go  
So I wait for you to  
Take me all the way  
Take me all the way_

There wasn't anything too special in her inbox, but then again, this wasn't her email account for her column in Ino's magazine. This was her private account, that only her friends and family knew about. There were also a few subscriptions, though Sakura couldn't recall a time when she had actually read any of them. Well, except from when she was ordering from online stores, that was.

_Push me under  
Pull me further  
Take me all the way  
Take me all the way_

_Push me under  
Pull me further  
Take me all the way  
Take me all the way_

Once again standing, Sakura made her way over to the kitchen and grabbed a drink, quickly running back into the living room and back to her laptop. From the balcony, she saw Ao raise his head and regard her with what Sakura presumed as confusion, but she ignored him and logged into her other email account. That password was always easy to remember as it was pretty simple. Not only that, but it was connected to her personal account thanks to Sai.

_And I've been waiting so long  
And I've been waiting so long  
And I've been waiting so long_

_So I wait for you to  
Take me all the way_

Unlike her other account, there were hundreds of emails. This was the part Sakura disliked the most. She hated that she could only choose six to reply to. Yes, she could reply via email, but Ino had been pretty strict when she told her not to, saying that it would take too much of her time and quite possibly stress her out.

_Push me under  
Pull me further  
Take me all the way  
Take me all the way_

_Push me under  
Pull me further  
Take me all the way  
Take me all the way_

Ever since the blonde had agreed to try and be friends once again, they had become much better friends than they ever were before. Sure, there were times when Sakura knew for a fact that Ino hadn't forgiven her completely and there were possibly even times when she questioned Ino's trust in her, but there was nothing Sakura could about it. It was her own fault, after all.

_And I've been waiting so long  
And I've been waiting so long  
And I've been waiting so long_

_So I wait for you to  
Take me all the way  
Take me all the way_

Switching off her music, Sakura got to opening emails and choosing which six to reply to. It wasn't via email that she replied to the person. No, she copied their questions, pasted them into a word document and then underneath, she typed up her reply before sending the document to the editor, who then did whatever she did to make it look pretty.

_Dear Sakura,_

_I was just recently diagnosed with a mental illness _–_ schizophrenia. None of my friends know yet and I'm not sure how to tell them. How can I explain it to them without gaining their pity?_

_Akane, aged sixteen._

Sakura sighed, her fingers once again dancing over the keys before typing out her reply.

_Dear Akane,_

_There is no easy way to tell people about being mentally ill, so until you feel more comfortable, stick to telling those who you can truly trust to be there for you when times get rough. As for not gaining their pity, I'm afraid there's always going to be pity, even if it is only just the smallest amount of it. Don't feel upset or angry with them, though. They're concerned for you and don't want anything bad to happen to you. If it helps any, I never regret my decision to tell my loved ones about my mental illness._

_Good luck,_

_Sakura._

She got a lot of those kinds of emails, asking how they should tell their friends, when would be the most appropriate time to do so and where.

_Dear Sakura,_

_My partner has recently been undergoing tests and examinations to see whether he is mentally unstable or not. Lately there has been a bit of a struggle and I was worried as to whether or not he was possibly suffering from a mental disorder. I want to be there for him, but I'm not sure how to go about that. Sometimes I feel like if I say the wrong thing, I'm going to lose him and that's the last thing I want._

_Anonymous._

For a moment, she bit her lip unsurely before finally replying.

_Dear Anonymous,_

_There will always be that uncertainty. I'm not entirely sure on how you're feeling, but I know that sometimes, my partner often feels the same way. What we do is we sit down and he asks me how I'm feeling. My reactions often vary depending on how stressed or down I'm feeling. Sometimes I get defensive and moody and other times, I open up to him without a problem. However, he understands me well enough by now to somewhat know what to expect when he receives certain reactions._

_All I can say is watch your partner closely and observe them – although not too closely, as I can tell you from experience that it is not a welcome feeling – and if you feel like he is having a calm day, a good day, sit down and talk to him. Open up to him and tell him you want to help him, but make sure you make him understand that he needs to open up to you in return and that you're not going to leave him when times get tough. That's what he will need right now. Even if he's coming across as defensive and angry, or downright hostile, just speak calmly (yet not patronizingly) and help him calm down. I find that music helps soothe me when I'm feeling especially agitated. Make him see that no matter what, you're there for him. You're not going to let the fact that he is – or may be – mentally unstable destroy your relationship or cause you to drift apart._

_I hope it all goes well for you both!_

_Sakura._

It didn't take her long to finish her emails and when she had, Sakura glanced up at the clock, her eyebrows raising as she saw the time. It was almost half eleven! Gaara would be having his lunch break in about an hour. Should she bring him lunch? Sakura smiled to herself. Yes, that sounded quite nice, actually.

Switching off her laptop and putting it away, Sakura got up and whistled for Ao to come back inside. Once he had, she closed and locked the balcony doors before going into her bedroom, getting changed into a plain black dress. It reached mid–thigh and had long sleeves as well as a high neckline. Because of how tired she looked from the night before, Sakura put on a little bit of makeup, evening out her complexion with foundation before applying mascara and a little eyeliner. There was no harm in making an effort, right? After she had put on a little lipstick, Sakura got to straightening her hair before running her fingers through it a couple of times, giving it more volume.

Once she was dressed, she glanced at the clock, her eyes widening in surprise as she saw it was already five minutes past twelve. Damn, she had better hurry up! Quickly slipping on a pair of nude, four inch heels, Sakura darted out of the room, only pausing to grab her phone, car keys and purse to shove them all in a bag.

"I'll be back in about an hour, Ao!" she told the dog on her way out. "Be a good boy and I'll take you out for a walk when I get back."

She'd take him out for a walk anyway, but still.

Locking the door behind her, Sakura turned around and was about to run over to the elevator, only to freeze when she spotted somebody staring at her. Her fright faded though when she saw the blond hair and single blue eye. "Deidara!" she sighed, her hand raising to her chest over her pounding heart. "You scared me! What are you doing just standing out here?"

About a month or so after she and Gaara had moved in, Deidara and his friend had moved into the condo across from them. At first, Gaara had been angry when he saw who Deidara lived with. It turned out that Deidara's friend was Gaara's distant cousin, though she never really learned why he didn't like Sasori. Honestly, she wasn't even sure that Gaara knew why he didn't like the guy. It just seemed like he disliked Sasori for the sake of it.

She and Deidara had become quite good friends, although not as close as her, Sasuke and Naruto, or her and Itachi.

Deidara shrugged one shoulder, his head resting back against the door. "I was just about to go out. What about you, yeah? Going somewhere important?"

"Yeah," she smiled brightly, "I'm going to have lunch with Gaara. He's been working so hard lately and after last night…"

"Congratulations, yeah." he told, his eyes looking down at her engagement ring. "Sasori and I didn't have a chance to say it last night. You seemed a little busy."

"Thanks." Sakura replied, though she was a little impatient now. It was quarter past twelve and it would take her at least ten minutes to get to the Sabaku Corporation, maybe even longer depending on the traffic. "Well, I've got to go now, so I'll speak to you later!"

Fortunately, traffic wasn't bad. If anything the roads were pretty empty, which surprised her. Whilst on her way to his office, Sakura had picked up Gaara's favourite takeout, smiling happily to herself as she made her way to the elevator, though thanking one of the workers for pushing the button for her, since her hands were full. He made polite conversation with her, congratulating her on her and Gaara's engagement when he spotted the ring and wishing her the best for the future. His words only made her smile grow.

Nothing could bring her mood down today.

Finally on Gaara's floor, she made her way towards his office with her head held high, her hips swaying and her heels clicking against the floor. The only reason she was acting so confident was because of that… _thing_… sitting at the receptionist desk.

"Matsuri."

The brunette looked up, disgust obvious in her eyes as she caught sight of Sakura. "Gaara–sama's busy right now. He doesn't have time for _you_."

Sakura placed the takeout bag on the desk, ignoring the look she received from Matsuri. Nobody and nothing was going to bring down her mood! It had always been this way with Matsuri, ever since she had been hired. The girl had been Temari's secretary at first (though only for a month), but when Gaara took over, she became his since it would take far too long for him to find another. Matsuri hated Sakura and Sakura couldn't even deny that the feeling was mutual.

"Oh?" Sakura raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "Is that why he called me only a few moments ago?"

He hadn't called her. In fact, he didn't even know that she was here, but Matsuri didn't need to know that, did she?

Matsuri's eyes narrowed. "Listen, Gaara–sama's very stressed with work right now and he doesn't–"

She cut herself off as Sakura nonchalantly raised her left hand, placing it down onto the desk and leaning forward, her green eyes narrowing dangerously. "No, _you_ listen. If I want to see _my fiancé_, then you can't stop me."

"F–Fiancé?" Matsuri stuttered, her eyes wide. "B–But when did he… When–"

"When did he propose to me?" Sakura finished for her, not even feeling guilty for causing the girl distress. She had been trying for far too long to split her and Gaara up. "Last night, at the surprise party he threw for my birthday."

Not even bothering to wait for a reply, Sakura once again picked up the takeout and walked towards Gaara's office, failing at trying to hide her smirk of satisfaction when she entered the room. Gaara seemed surprised to see her, though his eyes narrowed at the look on her face, knowing exactly what she had just been doing to his secretary. He didn't yell at her for it, though. There was no point. Sakura would still do it the next time she came by.

"I brought you lunch." she smiled at him, walking over to him and when Gaara pushed his chair out from under the desk, Sakura sat in his lap, pressing her lips to his in a chaste kiss.

Placing his hand on her lower back to keep her there, Gaara breathed deeply, only barely hiding the fact that he was starving. "You didn't have to do that."

Sakura only shook her head, still smiling as she stood up and passed him his lunch before sitting in the chair opposite him. "If I didn't, you would be a skeleton by now. Really, Gaara, you should try to take at least one short break during the day to have something to eat. I can't marry you if you die of starvation!"

He merely smirked, tucking into the meal his fiancée had brought for him. She always fussed over his health.

It was only twenty minutes later that Sakura was once again seated on his lap and kissing him, although this time, she was straddling him, her hands were in his hair and her breathing was heavy. Gaara was no different, really. His breathing was just as heavy as he held her hips tightly, pushing her down over his growing arousal.

They both knew that this was not the time or place to be doing such things, but they hardly cared. It was Gaara's lunch break and nobody ever came to his office during that time, knowing that there was a chance of Sakura being there. Well, nobody except for Matsuri, but Sakura had taken his mind off the little tart sitting outside. Damn she really hated that girl! Anyway, it wasn't like they had never had sex in his office before. In fact, on the day he became president of the company, Gaara had had her pinned against the wall and bent over his desk, screaming his name.

A knock on his door made Gaara sigh with annoyance whilst Sakura growled. Despite not wanting to, she pulled away and Gaara rolled his chair under his desk to hide the fact that he was turned on. Instead of moving to the other side of his desk, though, Sakura merely stayed by his side, sitting half on and half off the desk. She was facing Gaara, although if she turned her head to the side, she would have a perfect view of whoever had dared to interrupt them.

Why wasn't she surprised when Matsuri came in?

And why wasn't she surprised when she saw the brunette holding a plate of, what looked like, chocolate cake? The girl clearly didn't know Gaara at all! He wasn't a big fan of sweet things, preferring spicy food instead.

"Gaara–sama," Matsuri smiled brightly, ignoring that Sakura was sat beside him until she noticed their dishevelled appearances, making something that looked a lot like hatred flash through her eyes, although Gaara didn't see it because he was too busy trying to ignore the fact Sakura's right foot was stroking his leg sensually and by the time he met Matsuri's eyes, the hatred was gone. "I made you some cake."

He didn't know what to say and when Sakura noticed, she barely held back her snort of laughter, making Gaara shoot her a warning look. "Thank you, Matsuri."

The girl's smile brightened even further as she placed the plate onto his desk. Sakura almost pitied the girl, _almost_. Matsuri seemed to think that because Gaara had silently told Sakura to be nice, that he was doing it because he liked her. She was wrong. He was doing it to stop a fight from breaking out, to save himself the trouble of having to break it up. Shikamaru was a bad influence, even if he and Gaara only spoke when Temari brought him with her to visit.

When Matsuri didn't leave, Gaara looked up at her impassively. "Is there anything else?"

"Yes, Gaara–sama!" she told him, her dark eyes sparkling as she held back a victorious grin. "You're next meeting has been brought forward and you will need to be there in five minutes."

Sakura's eyes narrowed dangerously, knowing exactly what Matsuri had done. "Oi! Gaara needs a rest, even if it _is_ only for an hour. If he doesn't rest, then he'll get stressed and–"

"Sakura, it's fine." he told her, sighing as he stood up.

When she noticed that he was no longer aroused, Sakura pouted. "Fine, fine."

Also standing, Sakura held onto his arm as she put her heels back on, using him to keep her steady. Once done, she turned towards the plate of chocolate cake, eyeing it warily for a moment before shrugging and grabbing a piece, popping it into her mouth.

Only to spit out the pieces she hadn't swallowed half a minute later.

"What the _hell_ is in that thing?" Sakura demanded, her stomach churning as she tasted the awful after taste.

Quickly grabbing Gaara's drink that was on his desk, she gulped it down, trying to stop herself from gagging. She was only vaguely aware of Gaara's worried expression. No, right now, Sakura was more concerned with what Matsuri had tried to give her fiancé. Putting down the drink, Sakura glared at the girl, making Matsuri back up a couple of steps with wide eyes. Despite never liking one another, Sakura had never so openly showed her hatred, especially not in front of Gaara.

"Matsuri." Gaara's eyes narrowed as he turned to the brunette, knowing for a fact that Sakura wasn't playing it up, especially as he noticed she was just about holding down the contents of her stomach. Sakura had only thrown up once during the past year of living together and that was when she had eaten bad takeout. "What is in that cake?"

"Nothing, I swear!" she stammered, her eyes widening even further.

Taking a deep breath, Sakura slowly exhaled, happy that the moment of sickness seemed to have passed. "I'm fine, now." she told Gaara, who was watching her with barely concealed worry. Picking up the plate, she brought it to her nose, smelling the chocolate warily. It smelled disgusting. "Don't eat any of it, Gaara. It tastes like ass."

With that said, she dumped the plate into the bin before kissing his cheek, telling him that she'll see him at home before leaving.

* * *

**A/N - Ugh. Matsuri. It's no secret that I hate her, right? Good.**

**I'm getting another tattoo on Saturday! So excited. It's another kanji that'll be on my right wrist and it's going to say 'passion', so when I put my wrists together, it'll say 'passion' and 'love'.**

**The response for last chapter was great! I was expecting like two or three reviews since it's a new story and whatnot, but I was honestly surprised when I saw that I got seven! Thank you all so much and I hope I don't disappoint any of you! :-)**

**Oh. Two people from college know my fanfiction username. If you're both reading this, please don't judge me! I'm perfectly normal and sane!**

**...I think.**

**HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


	3. I'll Make It Up To You

**Chapter 3 – I'll Make It Up To You**

She had been sick for the rest of the weekend and spent the better part of it in the bathroom, throwing up whatever she managed to eat. No matter how bland or light the food she ate was, nothing could be kept down. Gaara had been worried and uncertain about what he should do, bringing her a glass of water every hour to make sure Sakura stayed hydrated.

When the worst of the sickness passed, she and Gaara had sat on the sofa together, her head in his lap as he leaned back against the sofa, one of his hands stroking her side soothingly. It had made her feel so relaxed and content that Sakura had fallen in and out of sleep during the movie they had been watching.

It wasn't until she felt herself being lifted that she woke up, looking up at Gaara with blurred vision. "The movie is finished already?"

"About ten minutes ago." he told her quietly, his voice sounding more like a rumble since her head was against his chest.

Sakura locked her arms more securely around his neck, feeling rather guilty. "I'm sorry for ruining your day off."

"You didn't ruin it." Gaara murmured, tightening his hold on her as he nudged the door open with his foot.

"_Please._"

She rolled her eyes, but grew silent as Gaara lowered her onto the bed, putting her in a sitting position as he helped her into her pyjamas. That was probably what Sakura loved most about Gaara. He always made her feel special, like she was the only person that mattered to him. He also never took advantage of her. During the entire duration of him changing her, his eyes never strayed for a second and his hands never touched anywhere that wasn't necessary either.

"What about Ao?" Sakura mumbled tiredly.

Looking up at his fiancée, Gaara couldn't help but smile. Her eyes weren't even open anymore, they were shut and the only thing keeping Sakura from falling back onto the bed was him. "I let him out on the balcony when the movie finished. He's on his bed now."

Sakura nodded. "I'll make this up to you…" she murmured as Gaara was laying her down onto the bed and covering her with the sheet. "Tomorrow. I'll come and visit you on my lunch break."

Once he had dressed down and got into bed next to her, Gaara pulled Sakura against him and held her close, knowing that she wouldn't be able to sleep peacefully unless he was holding her. It had been that way since the night Kabuto had returned along with Zaku. The others such as Karin and Suigetsu didn't scare her as much. No, it was just those two men, the ones that had abused her so many times. Gaara didn't have a problem with holding her as she slept, for it also helped him relax. If he could feel her, it meant that she was there, she was safe.

"Very well." he whispered into her ear, smirking at the way she shivered and leaned back against him.

A second later, her light snoring reached his ears and hearing it, Gaara finally closed his eyes and allowed sleep to take him.

* * *

They always showered together. Well, by showering together, Sakura meant that they made love when they were supposed to be showering. Today, however, because of how sick she had been yesterday, they both thought it best not to. Instead, they simply cleaned each other between soft kisses before getting ready for their day. It was still a nice way to wake up, though, if you asked Sakura.

Her day with Tsunade was, as always, hectic. The blonde had taken her on as her apprentice so on Mondays and Thursdays, Sakura spent more or less the entire day with Tsunade. On the other days of the week, she would be at college studying psychology. The only days Sakura had to rest were Saturdays and Sundays, but it was still more than Gaara. He only had Sundays off. It was because of this that Sakura always tried to do something nice for him on Saturday nights when he returned from work and all day Sunday whilst he was resting.

That was why she was so angry. Yesterday was supposed to be the day they could completely relax. Sometimes, unless it was to let Ao out, get a drink or use the bathroom, they never left their bed at all. Instead, Sakura had been throwing up non–stop. Not very romantic, right? Oh Matsuri was so going to pay for that. Sakura wasn't sure how she was going to get payback and she didn't care right now, but soon, that bitch was going to regret getting on her bad side.

"Ridiculous."

Tsunade was practically growling as she entered the staffroom, where Sakura was currently reading a book on different mental illnesses that the blonde had told her to read. Due to patient confidentiality, unless they were comfortable with her being there, Sakura was not allowed in during sessions. Only a few allowed for her to be there and that was only because they were informed that, like them, Sakura suffered from a mental illness. She understood them and she was in no way judging them. Some were often comforted by the knowledge that she was like them and used it as motivation to get better, to seek help.

"What is it, Tsunade–shishou?"

The blonde turned to face Sakura, her eyes narrowed and deadly. "Some absolute idiot has created some sort of medication that is not only dangerous, but can also lead to eating disorders."

Sakura's eyes widened. "Who would do such a thing?"

"I'm not sure." she growled, rummaging through the drawers for her sake. She had to hide it from the other employees as Minato often confiscated it, saying it would be best to help her patients whilst sober. Tsunade always ignored him. "But when I find out, they're going to regret it. I mean, the damned thing hasn't even been approved!"

"Then how are people buying them?"

The look Tsunade suddenly gave her screamed 'are you stupid'. "Sakura, where do addicts get their drugs from?" Sakura deadpanned. "Dealers. Obviously they have been receiving them from someone, but we can't tell for sure who they're made by. Not yet, anyway."

Sakura chewed on her lower lip. "What are the side effects?"

For a moment, Tsunade silently regarded her before she sighed and sat down in one of the seats. "It is like they're made for those who suffer from bulimia."

"They make you throw up." Tsunade nodded once and Sakura felt fear shoot through her.

Was it possible Matsuri gave her one of those pills?

* * *

Acting as though she didn't suspect a thing, Sakura stepped out of the elevator and made her way over to Gaara's office, completely ignoring the girl sitting at her desk.

However, just as she was halfway to the door, a voice drifted to her.

"How's the stomach?" Matsuri smirked.

Sakura's eyes narrowed dangerously. She _knew_ Matsuri had put something in that cake, knowing that it would be Sakura who ate it! It was most likely one of those pills that had been brought out. The ones that Tsunade had been telling her about. They weren't approved by doctors as they could lead to eating disorders, but somehow, somewhere, they were being sold. However, she shrugged, giving Matsuri an impish smile. "Thanks to you, Gaara and I played doctor and patient _all_ day yesterday." The brunette's smirk slipped away, making Sakura's smile widen. "Oh yeah, he made me feel _so_ much better." Turning back around and knocking once on the door, Sakura threw over her shoulder just as she opened it, "Seriously, Matsuri. Thank you _so much_."

And then she was shutting the door behind her before the girl could say a word.

"What are you thanking her for?" Gaara asked suspiciously as he placed down his paperwork, pushing his chair out from under the desk.

Instead of telling him about the pills, Sakura merely smiled and sat down on his lap. They did this every time she came by. It was how they greeted each other. Through touches and kisses. On the desk sat the lunch she had just placed down, though because it was only a couple of sandwiches (Sakura had thought it was much too warm for a hot meal), they were soon forgotten as she shifted in her place, straddling his lap.

They kissed each other slowly, tenderly, but the moment Sakura rolled her hips against his and sighed with pleasure, things heated up. Their kisses grew desperate and more passionate as her hands found their way into his hair whilst his stroked her sides softly.

However, the moment Sakura reached down to unbutton his pants, his words caused her to freeze.

"Not with Matsuri outside, Sakura."

Rejection.

Even though Sakura knew that it wasn't because of her he was rejecting her, it still brought that awful, painful feeling of rejection. It still made her feel humiliated. Sad. It made her feel like _crying_. Gaara had never rejected her before. Yes, when they were still at school, he had ignored her hints and advances at wanting him to sleep with her, but that was because she hadn't been mentally ready. Her mind kept detaching. Since their first time together, he hadn't said no once (not including the time when she had been drunk).

"Okay." she whispered, pulling away from him. She bit the inside of her cheek, inwardly screaming at herself for acting so weak. So what if he was saying no, now? Gaara would most likely make up for it later by spoiling her. But… She didn't want to be spoiled. She wanted _him_.

Seeing the look in her eyes, Gaara's eyes widened. He knew she was scared of rejection and had completely forgotten about it. He hadn't meant to hurt her! "Sakura–"

"I should get going." Sakura told him, looking away as she grabbed her things. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat, but no matter how hard she tried, it wouldn't go away. "I have to get back to Tsunade–shishou."

Gaara stood up, trying to reach out to her and pull her against him, however just as he made his way around his desk, she was out the door.

Sakura shut the door behind her, raising a shaking hand and pressing it to her lips. How could she have been so stupid? She must look like such an idiotic slut! Her eyes squeezed shut as she breathed in shakily. Even though Sakura kept telling herself that Gaara wasn't rejecting her, all she saw was him saying no. All her mind kept showing her was him pushing her away. Why? Why would he push her away?

"Did he finally break up with you?"

Matsuri.

It was because of Matsuri.

Her eyes snapped open, glaring over in the direction of Matsuri's desk, but the brunette was too busy flicking through the pages of a magazine to see it. Oh how Sakura wished she could just slam Matsuri's face into her desk. Her hands twitched.

"Well it's about time." Matsuri continued as she rested her chin in her hand, pausing at a certain page so that she could read it. "You've been stressing him out so much with your over–dramatic problems." her dark eyes slipped over in Sakura's direction, barely even noticing how much her words were effecting her. "You're always coming by here, forgetting that Gaara–sama is a very busy man. He doesn't have time to be playing with you."

If Sakura had been able to move at that moment in time, she would have pressed her hand to her chest for it had started _aching_ in response to Matsuri's words. However, right now, Sakura was torn between three options. The first, smashing her fist into the bitch's face. The second, pressing her hands over her ears and refusing to listen and the last, running. Her legs twitched, like they were demanding that she _did_ run away.

"You don't know a thing about us."

Hearing the shake in Sakura's voice, Matsuri raised an eyebrow. "I don't? _Please_. I'm Gaara–sama's _assistant_. I know a lot of things."

"You're his secretary!"

"And what happens between the secretary and her boss?" she asked smoothly, going back to flipping through the pages of her magazine. "Quite a lot of affairs are mostly bosses sleeping with their secretaries."

Sakura's eyes widened. It was a lie. That _had_ to be a lie! There was no way it was the truth. But then again, he had just rejected her for the first time ever. They had had sex in his office before! In fact, two days ago, they would have had sex in there had Matsuri not interrupted them. The ache in her chest grew, almost forcing her to fall to her knees.

"Gaara wouldn't touch you if you were–"

The sound of a buzz interrupted Sakura. It was Gaara. He was calling Matsuri into his office.

"We'll just see about that." Matsuri smirked and, like an obedient dog obeying its master, she got up, pushing passed Sakura so that she could open the doors.

Sakura didn't care if Gaara would be able to see her due to the doors being open. She was too numb to move. Her insides felt like ice but at the same time, it felt like she was being burned, _scorched_. Her eyes stayed glued to Matsuri's desk, even when she felt Gaara's eyes on her, even when she could faintly feel the sob that was fighting, _clawing_, its way to the surface. At the small shake of her body, her bag slipped from her hand to the ground, but she barely even noticed.

"Gaara–sama, how can–"

"Sakura?"

And then she was running.

If she had been able to think of anything other than the pain she could feel, Sakura would have been grateful to all those times she and Ino had played around in their high heels because now, she could run in them with no trouble.

Somebody was calling after her when she reached the ground floor, somebody who sounded an awful lot like Shikamaru and Temari, but like Gaara, Sakura ignored them as she continued running towards the door, keeping her hand pressed tightly to her mouth as though she was using it to keep back her sobs. It didn't make much of a difference. They could all see as clear as day that Sakura was crying. That something was causing her pain.

As she reached her car, Sakura pulled on the handle, only to remember that it was locked. And she had dropped her bag outside of Gaara's office.

"Damn it!"

Her mind kept showing her images she did not want to see. Images of Gaara with Matsuri, of the two of them laughing about how pathetic she was.

"Sakura?"

She spun around quickly, only to pause when she saw Temari and Shikamaru. They were both looking at her with concern and in response she quickly averted her eyes, trying her best and failing at wiping away her tears. All she managed to do was smudge her makeup.

"Hey, what happened?" Temari asked, stepping toward her and pulling Sakura into a hug.

"H–He said… He said no." she whispered as her arms wrapped around Temari.

"Who said no?"

Sakura squeezed her eyes shut in an attempt to ignore the looks she was receiving from people passing her by. "Gaara. _Gaara_! He said n–no."

As she sobbed once, Temari winced because Sakura also tightened her hold and the blonde knew for a fact that she would have bruises the size of Sakura's fists on her back in the morning. She could feel them pressed harshly against her back, but she could also feel that Sakura was trying her best not to hold her too tightly. "To what, Sakura? Why did Gaara say no?"

"B–Because," she hiccuped and when she trembled, Temari's arms tightened around her, "because of Matsuri."

Temari pulled back, looking at Sakura with wide eyes. "What? What do you mean, 'because of Matsuri'?"

"I… He… Then…"

"You're not making any sense!" Temari told her with annoyance. "What are you talking about?"

"Oi, Temari." Shikamaru snapped, giving her a hard look. "Ease up. She's upset!"

"And I want to know why." she hissed in return. "If Matsuri has done something to upset you, Sakura, tell me now. I'll deal with her myself."

More tears fell. "_Gaara–sama is too important to be playing with you._" Sakura said harshly. "_You're stressing him out with your over–dramatic problems._"

Both Temari and Shikamaru frowned, exchanging a look of worry before he spoke up. "Sakura?"

"That's what she said to me!" she screamed at them, ignoring the odd looks that were sent her way by the people she had just startled.

"Are you sure that's what she said, Sakura?" the blonde asked, her frown deepening. "I know that you and Matsuri have never liked each other, but I just can't see her saying something like that."

The second Sakura heard her words, she pushed Temari away from her like she had been burned. It was obvious the move shocked the two opposite her as Temari had to quickly catch herself before she fell and Shikamaru also moved forward, though it wasn't necessary. The look they received when they looked up at Sakura was heartbreaking. She was glaring at them with betrayal in her eyes, with disbelief on her features and the way her fists suddenly clenched made them aware of the fact that she was getting angry.

"You're right." Sakura spat, her eyes narrowing. "I'm making it all up!"

"Sakura–"

"Fuck you."

She turned, entering the building once again since she needed her car keys and her car keys were in her bag. Unfortunately for her, when she reached Gaara's floor, her bag was nowhere to be seen and neither was Matsuri. Had she stolen her bag? Wasn't trying to steal Gaara enough for her? Bitch.

Not even knocking, Sakura entered Gaara's office and once she had spotted her bag resting by the side of his desk, she marched over to it, ignoring both him and Matsuri as she grabbed it, turned and was about to walk straight back out. In her mind she could see them both laughing at her in between kisses, could hear them talking about her, about how stupid she was. However as she just reached the door, Matsuri's voice drifted to her ears.

"Well _that's_ rude."

Sakura paused, her hand literally shaking with the need to spin around and punch her. "What was that?"

Gaara stood up the second he heard her voice, heard the tremble in it. What he couldn't tell was whether it was out of anger or hurt. He hadn't failed to notice that when she had been in front of him, her makeup had been a mess. Her mascara had mixed with her tears, leaving her face tearstained and her eyes a smudgy mess of black. It made her eye colour look stunning, but he didn't focus on that. He couldn't focus on that.

"I said," Matsuri sighed, placing her hands on her hips, "that you're rude. Gaara–sama went through the trouble of putting everything back in your bag for you after _you_ dropped it and left it behind and you won't even say thank you!"

After taking a deep breath, Sakura turned around and gave Gaara a painfully obvious fake smile. "Thank you, Gaara–_sama_." his eyes widened at the tone of her voice but before he could say anything, Sakura's smile dropped and she glared over at Matsuri. "Anything else?"

The brunette bristled. "How can you speak to him like that? He's nothing but kind to you!"

"How can I–" Sakura cut herself off, closing her eyes and taking another deep breath. When she opened them again, she looked at Gaara with a look of exhaustion. It was a look that had his insides aching. "I think it'd be best if I stopped coming here. Just make sure you eat so you don't get ill and… and I'm sorry for stressing you out, for bothering you with my _over–dramatic_ problems."

And as the tears started once again, she left, leaving Gaara feeling more confused than he had ever been before. What the hell was happening?

This time, as she made her way over to the door of the ground floor to get to her car, nobody called after her. Nobody stopped her to see if she was okay. Temari and Shikamaru were nowhere to be seen, though she could have sworn that she had spotted Temari's hair out of the corner of her eye. It didn't matter. They didn't believe her. Nobody did.

She didn't bother going back to Tsunade. Instead, Sakura made her way home, forcing back her tears so that she could drive and when she finally reached her floor, she waved half–heartedly at Deidara, who had called her name in greeting, but didn't look at him. She just wanted to go to bed and never move again. He must have picked up on her mood because Deidara didn't say anything else. She could feel his eyes on her, though. Even when the doors were closed she could feel his eyes on her.

Ao greeted her as he usually did. Running over to the front door and barking when he noticed it was her. However, like Deidara, he sensed her mood and was instantly by her side, trying to comfort her by nudging her legs, nipping her hands softly. When she was younger, Sakura had always wondered how the hell nipping at her hands could comfort her, but now, she understood. It was the simple fact that even though he was a dog, Ao was always there for her. He was so loyal and refused to leave her side.

With a tip of her head for him to follow her, Sakura sat on the sofa, allowing him to lay on it with her for once. He acted like a pillow, letting Sakura use his body to rest her head on and every couple of minutes, he turned his head, licking her face as though telling her she needed to wash it.

Sakura sighed and sat up. It was true. She needed to wash her face and the moment she entered the bathroom, Sakura groaned. She looked awful. Pathetic. Weak. Disgusting. It was probably why Gaara didn't want her. He was most likely tired of having to take care of her. Her breath left her shakily as she knelt down and opened her cabinet, reaching for a makeup wipe, only to pause when her hand brushed a certain bottle.

Her medication.

Grabbing it, Sakura stood up straight once again and looked at herself in the mirror. She only vaguely heard Ao whine.

She just wanted to be like everybody else, like Matsuri. Sakura was willing to bet that she didn't have to take any medication to help balance out her moods or help her cope. She was willing to bet that life was so much easier for Matsuri than it was for her. That was the kind of girl Gaara needed. One without drama, without stress. She was stressing him out and causing him problems as she was now.

Why the hell should she have to take medication, anyway? She'd be fine without them!

Slowly, unsurely, Sakura emptied the bottle of pills down the sink, never taking her eyes off them for a second. And once the bottle was empty, she washed away any remains of the tablets before cleaning her face.

It was time to stop worrying about herself. If she wanted to keep Gaara, if she wanted to make him happy, she had to put him first.

She would be fine.

She didn't even need those stupid tablets!

…Right?

* * *

**A/N - There's a reason why Sakura's taking everything so harshly, by the way! Just thought I'd say that in case you're all thinking she's being dramatic. I'm sure it's pretty obvious what's up with Sakura, especially with the way the chapter ended!**

**HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


	4. You Don't Believe Me

**Chapter 4 – You Don't Believe Me**

It didn't surprise her that that night, when Gaara returned, he tried to make up for what happened even though he had no idea what he did wrong. And when they went to bed he made love to her, trying to tell her through his actions _and_ words that he was sorry. After, Gaara fell asleep with his arms wrapped around her, his chest pressed firmly to her back.

That was when she started crying.

However, just as she pressed a hand to her mouth to stop herself from waking Gaara up, the arms around her tightened and he pressed his lips to her shoulder.

"Please stop crying." he whispered and she could feel the tension in his body. "I don't like it when you cry. I don't like seeing you in pain."

The way he spoke made him sound almost childlike. Sakura quickly wiped her eyes and turned her head away to bury it into her pillow. "S–Sorry."

Gaara sighed as he rested his forehead on her shoulder. "Just tell me how to take the pain away."

She didn't turn around. Instead she simply reached behind her and ran her hand through his hair. How was she supposed to tell him what Matsuri had said if Temari and Shikamaru didn't even believe her? Don't get her wrong, Gaara was always there for her when she needed him, but… but this felt different. "Just forget about it." she whispered, her throat feeling tight. "I'm fine."

"You're not fine!"

When she wouldn't turn to look at him, he pulled away and grabbed her shoulder, making her turn to lay on her back so that she would look at him. At the sight of her tears, of her lip looking close to bleeding because of how hard she was biting it, Gaara felt his chest constrict. However, just as he went to wipe away her tears, the bed shook and a wet nose was knocking his hand away. That wasn't what surprised him the most, though. It was the fact that Ao was _growling_ at him. Not the playful growl that he sometimes gave, but a serious growl. A growl that was telling Gaara to back off. Ao had only ever growled at him when he was still getting used to Gaara, back when Sakura had first been given him!

"Sakura?"

Ao glared at Gaara. Thankfully, however, his growling had stopped, though that didn't mean much. If he was getting protective of Sakura, then you should always be careful around him. That was what Kiba had once told him. After all, Ao _was_ more of a guard dog than one you play with.

Sakura petted Ao's head, trying to calm him down. "Stop it, Ao." He turned to face her. "_Stop it_." He huffed, giving Gaara one last glare before he hopped off the bed and went back to his bed in the living room. Then, she kissed Gaara's cheek and settled back into bed. "Goodnight, Gaara."

"No." he snapped, once again forcing her to look at him. "I don't even know what I have done wrong! Was it because I said no to you earlier? I told you already–"

"It wasn't about sex!" Sakura yelled right back at him, pushing him away from her as she got out of bed. For a moment, she seemed confused as she looked around the room before she moved over to the hooks on the back of the door and grabbed her robe, pulling it on and tying the sash. Gaara was right behind her as he did the same.

His eyes narrowed dangerously. "Then what is this about? Because I sure as hell don't know!"

To stop herself from spinning around and hitting him, Sakura took a deep breath and made her way over to the kitchen so that she could get a drink. Part of her was hoping that Gaara would simply go back to bed, but she should have known better. He would never be able to sleep without their problems being resolved and not only that, but being confused and angry certainly didn't relax him. "I told you that it doesn't matter!" she stressed. "You're the one who keeps bringing it back up!"

As he watched her pour herself a glass of water, Gaara folded his arms over his chest. "Well you started acting this way when I told you no because of Matsuri–"

It honestly startled him when Sakura threw her glass into the sink, not even blinking as it smashed and the water that was in it splashed her. "Matsuri! It's Matsuri, okay?"

Gaara ran a hand through his hair before he walked over to her, pinning her with a serious look. "She has nothing to do with this!"

"She has_ everything _to do with this!" she screamed right in his face, not intimidated in the least by the way he was glaring down at her. "You don't notice because _you don't care_."

"Don't care?" he demanded and when Sakura looked away from him, he grabbed her chin and forced her to look him in the eye. "I don't care? So all those times I spent looking after you, all those times I stuck by your side and defended you against not only those at school, but also _my own family,_ means nothing?" his voice was growing louder with each passing word and as he realised how angry he was getting, he quickly let go of Sakura so that he didn't hurt her. Turning away, Gaara once again ran his hand through his hair before looking back at her. "How the fuck can you even say that I don't care? You're over–"

"Don't you _dare_ say that I'm overreacting." Sakura warned him and when he heard the shake in her voice, he lowered his hand from rubbing his eyes and watched her carefully because despite feeling so,_ so fucking angry_ with her right now, he still didn't want to upset her. "You wonder why I won't tell you what's wrong!" she suddenly screamed at him, her voice cracking due to the strain and soon, her tears were falling. "I've told you and brought it up with you so many times but none of you believe me!"

His arms twitched with the need to reach out and pull her against him, but Gaara knew better. Right now, Sakura needed space. "It's not that we don't believe you, Sakura." he told her, keeping his voice low in hope that she would do the same. After all, despite how luxurious their condo was, they still had people living underneath and above them. Hell, Gaara was willing to bet that Sasori and Deidara could hear her yelling at him if they were still awake. "What you keep saying… it doesn't make any sense! Why would Matsuri try to destroy our relationship?"

Wiping her eyes, Sakura tried her best to hold back her sobs. "Because she's interested in you, Gaara! It's not hard to see. Damn it! It's like Naruto not noticing Hinata's feelings for him! They're so obvious and _in your fucking face_!" This time, she couldn't help but sob. "Why do you think we don't like each other? It's because I know of her feelings and because I'm with you when she wants to be!" Sakura sat down at the black marble island in the kitchen and put her head in her hands, refusing to look up at him. "You all think that I'm making this stuff up because your_ precious Matsuri_ doesn't seem like the type to say such nasty things, but she is!"

Sitting down opposite her, Gaara watched her with pained eyes. He hated seeing her so upset. He always had and always will. "What has she said to you, Sakura?"

The way her head snapped up, the hopeful look in her tear–filled eyes had his chest constricting painfully. "You're actually going to hear me out?" When he nodded once, she told him everything that had happened that day, about how after he had rejected her, Matsuri had said all those things. "A–And then I told Temari and Shikamaru, but they didn't believe me." she whispered as more tears fell. "Temari said that Matsuri would never say such things even though it _is_ obvious we don't like each other."

"And Shikamaru?"

"He didn't say anything. He just… stood there." Which was what made it so much worse.

Gaara rubbed his eyes tiredly, but he knew that he wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight. "Go back to bed, Sakura, you're exhausted."

Her eyes locked on his instantly, once again wide, though this time with disbelief. "You don't believe me."

"I didn't–"

"I'll tell you the same thing I told your sister." Sakura spat as she stood up. "Fuck you!"

And then she was running to the bathroom and slamming the door shut, but just as Gaara got up to go to her, he heard the lock click into place a moment before the shower was running. To make things worse, Ao seemed to be getting protective once more as he gave Gaara a warning glare and growl.

* * *

"Sakura," Gaara sighed, knocking on the bathroom door, "I need to get ready for work."

She had been in there for over four hours now and Gaara had no idea what she was doing in there. At first, she had been showering and then drying her hair, but since then, it had been completely silent in the bathroom and he would be lying if he said that he wasn't worried. Luckily, there wasn't a clock in the bathroom, so Sakura had no idea that he still had another two hours before he had to get ready for work.

The lock slid out of place and a second later, the door opened and Sakura walked out, not looking at him and instead keeping her head down. Despite that, however, he still noticed her blotchy, tearstained face.

Grabbing her arm, Gaara didn't even give Sakura a chance to react as he pulled her against him and his heart felt like it was ripping in two as she shook in his arms, as she wrapped her own around him and _cried_. "Sakura, I never said that I didn't believe you."

"You didn't have to." she whispered into his chest. "I could see it in your eyes. I just…"

When she trailed off, Gaara closed his eyes. "You just, what?"

"I wish," Sakura sobbed, "that I could be normal."

Forget it feeling like his heart was ripping in half only moments before because now it felt like it was being savagely shredded. His arms tightened around Sakura. "You're just as normal as anyone else." he told her quietly and no matter how hard he tried, he could feel his eyes beginning to sting. "And even if you're not, that's why I love you. You're different. You're not like them. You're not boring or a pushover and you genuinely care about things. Sakura," he pulled back and grabbed her chin gently, forcing her to meet his eyes, "if you weren't who you are, I wouldn't be who I am. You reached out to me when nobody else did and if it wasn't for you, I would still be the same boy that I was in high school."

"She really did say those things, Gaara." Sakura whispered to him, her eyes desperate. "I–If you still don't believe me… then how can you explain that cake she tried to give you?" at his wide eyes, Sakura inwardly screamed with joy. Finally, somebody believed her! "She knows you prefer spicy food, Gaara! And Matsuri knew that I would eat the cake. I don't know… I don't know what the hell she put in it, but I think it may have a been a new drug."

His brows furrowed as an angry look filled his eyes. "A drug? Are you saying she drugged you?"

Sakura nodded quickly. "T–Tsunade–sama… She has this patient who has an eating disorder. T–To make herself sick… she t–takes these… these pills." she shook her head, her mind foggy with so many different emotions. "They're k–kind of like diet pills, only they're not approved. They make you throw up to lose weight." Sakura swallowed hard as she glanced back into his eyes. "I'm already taking two different types of pills, so maybe… maybe whatever she gave me reacted badly to them? I–I don't know!" her hand raised to her head, grabbing a fistful of hair as she squeezed her eyes shut. "I can't r–remember what Tsunade–sama said! I–I can't–"

"It's okay," Gaara told her quietly as he removed her hand from her hair and silenced her with a kiss. "I will have to ask Matsuri for a statement before I can take any action." when he pulled back to look into her eyes, he stroked her cheek gently. "Are you feeling better? Those drugs aren't going to harm you, are they?"

"I probably threw them back up." Sakura smiled weakly, thinking back to how ill she had been over the weekend. Placing her head on his chest, she closed her eyes again and held him tightly. "I'm glad somebody finally believes me. I'm tired of people thinking…"

It was automatic how his arms tightened their hold. "You're tired of people thinking, what?"

"…That I'm crazy."

And she really, really was.

* * *

Saying that he was not in a good mood today would be an understatement.

For starters, he was stressed. So very, very stressed and the lack of sleep the night before did not help at all. He didn't blame Sakura for that, though. He was just as to blame for it as she was. They should have spoken about what happened in his office the day before the moment he stepped into their home instead of pretending like it never happened, instead of him trying to tell her that he was sorry through his actions. To make matters worse, Gaara just couldn't catch a break at work. Once one pile of paperwork had been sorted through and signed, another pile would be dumped right in front of him.

Part of him missed the simplicity of high school. Sure, it hadn't been easy and simple all the time, but at least, back then, he had been able to spend more time with Sakura. At least, back then, he had time to himself. Now Gaara was lucky to return home before eight in the evening, to spend an evening with Sakura where they simply relaxed together. Either he was always busy, or she was busy with coursework, college, or helping Tsunade. Yes, they still spent most of their free time together, but it was nowhere near the same as the time they had spent together back in school.

Was it weird that, despite living together and still being very much in love with each other, that Gaara missed Sakura?

Not only were those things stressing him out, but he had a feeling one of Sakura's episodes was about to begin. She didn't have many 'big' episodes, in all honesty, due to her medication helping with balancing out her moods, but there was always the odd one that would be much more serious than the rest. Well, that was what Mebuki had told him before he and Sakura moved in together. Fortunately for Sakura, her episodes since then hadn't been all too serious and there had been very few of them. He was so thankful for that, especially since he was so busy and wouldn't be able to help her if she needed it. Or to stop her if he needed to.

Quickly shutting that thought away, Gaara looked down at the statement in his hands. Sakura would tell him if she was having suicidal thoughts or any thoughts of harming herself, wouldn't she? Yes. She would. Sakura trusted him one hundred percent, just like he trusted her one hundred percent. They talked to each other. She knew she could come to him about anything, didn't she?

This morning, Gaara had barely even stepped out of the lift before he demanded that Matsuri told him what she put in the cake. His secretary had looked offended and upset to say the least, but he had stood firm. Sakura had never lied to him before and she had no reason to start now. As well as questioning her about the cake, he had also ordered her to tell him about everything she had said to Sakura.

One of them was lying to him.

Either Sakura had misunderstood Matsuri's words and actions and had taken them completely the wrong way, or Matsuri was lying to him.

And even though Gaara had told her that he didn't _not_ believe her because of her illness, he knew he had to keep in mind that sometimes, it made her believe people were against her when they weren't. Delusional and illogical thinking, he remembered. Those were two of the many symptoms. Of course Gaara viewed this as just another complaint, just another argument, but it was difficult. He loved Sakura and he was extremely protective of her. If Matsuri had done something to harm her (emotionally, physically or mentally), then he would deal with that. However, he also had to accept that he was president of Sabaku Corporation. He couldn't side with Sakura just because he loved her. It could cause many problems between him and his employees.

So what was he supposed to do now? Sakura wouldn't step foot here again, refusing to be anywhere Matsuri, and Matsuri had sworn that she meant no harm to Sakura and if she had upset her, then she was sorry.

That hadn't been the only thing Matsuri had said.

"_My aunt once had the exact same thing as Sakura did, Gaara–sama._" he recalled her words from earlier that day. She had looked so serious, but there had been a flash of something in her eyes before she was smiling brightly. He hadn't been able to tell what that flash was, but it was definitely something negative. "_She had had awful mood swings and certain foods made her sick, too. It turned out that she was pregnant!"_

Pregnant.

Could Sakura be pregnant?

Some would say that, with how much they had sex, that it wouldn't surprise them. In fact Kankuro had once stated that they were "at it like rabbits" or something along those lines. Gaara never paid much attention to his brother unless he seriously needed his opinion or help. However, Kankuro's words were true. Pretty much every night and every morning, hell, every chance they got, they were together intimately. Whether it was making love in bed at night, or a quick romp in the shower before they started their day, they were together.

But Sakura was still taking her birth control, wasn't she? They had never spoken about having children before. It sounded awful of him, he knew that, but Gaara didn't think Sakura would be capable of conceiving. She had opened up to him one time about when she had tried to starve herself. Her body had started to shut down and also, her periods had stopped. Since then, they had apparently never been the same. Sometimes, they were much more painful and were often irregular. Several times he had had to go to a store and buy some emergency supplies for Sakura, though he never complained. Gaara liked that she felt comfortable about such stuff with him, as most girls apparently were ashamed.

In all honesty, Gaara wasn't sure if he wanted children, but what if Sakura _was_ pregnant? Would he be ready to be a father?

To try and push that frightening question from his mind (in front of his secretary, at least), he had then questioned Matsuri about the drugs Sakura had been talking about, to which she replied with, "_Gaara–sama, I look like a fourteen year old girl! Who in their right mind is going to sell me drugs? They'd think I'm one of those undercover cops!_"

And thanks to what Sakura had told him last night, or ridiculously early in the morning, Gaara had noticed Matsuri's expression when he nodded once. She must have taken it as him agreeing to what she said, for Matsuri's expression had faltered and for a split second, it had looked as though she was about to cry.

It annoyed him, to be perfectly honest. Didn't she realise that, in his eyes, nobody would ever compare to Sakura? Of course Gaara knew that him loving somebody else would never stop Matsuri's feelings for him, but still.

So despite their relationship being strictly all about business, Gaara was now making more of an effort to put some distance between himself and Matsuri. If it made Sakura more comfortable, then fine. He would do it. He would not allow anybody to come between them. Surely his fiancée knew that by now? If she didn't, then he was just going to have to prove it to her.

"You wanted to see us?"

Gaara glanced up at his siblings as they entered the office and didn't miss the sympathetic look Temari shot him when she spotted the piles of paperwork on his desk. "Yes." he replied, his voice flat and serious. "From now on, I will be taking the entire weekend off as well as Wednesdays."

Their eyes widened. "Gaara, you can't–"

He cut Kankuro off. "I won't be lounging around doing nothing all day. On Wednesdays, I will work from home. That is why I had an office set up there, too. However, on weekends, I will be doing nothing more than spending time with Sakura. I don't care what any of you have to say." Gaara didn't fail to notice the flash in Temari's eyes at the mention of his fiancée. "We are both stressed and the company doesn't need me to be here six days a week. Baki mentioned once before that it is possible for me to work from home, just as long as I do not have any meetings. I never have meetings on a Wednesday."

"Gaara–" this time it was Temari who attempted to speak, but he cut her off, too.

"No." Gaara stood up and collected his paperwork, placing the most important ones into a briefcase. "Nothing either of you say will change my mind." his eyes snapped up to Temari's, narrowed and deadly and the look had both of his siblings tensing. "And if you and Shikamaru _ever_ upset Sakura the way you did yesterday, Temari, you will both regret it. Is that understood?"

Kankuro's eyes widened as he looked at Temari. Was she crazy? Why would she mess with Sakura? Temari cared for her like she was her own sister! "What the hell did you do to Sakura?"

Instead of replying, Temari kept her eyes on Gaara's. "I wasn't the only one who upset her yesterday, Gaara. Perhaps you should try taking your own advice."

And with that, she stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind her.

"Is she okay?" Kankuro asked awkwardly after a couple of minutes of silence. "Sakura, I mean."

Gaara paused in packing away his papers, his hands tightening their hold until he forced himself to relax. He and Sakura had spoken about what happened yesterday and he had told her that he was sorry for the way he had acted. "She is better than she was yesterday." he answered, continuing with his packing and before his brother could say anything more, he added, "Also, instead of finishing at seven every night, I will now be finishing at five. My hours are unnecessary considering I start at eight in the morning."

It was mostly of his own doing, but he would never admit that. Only Sakura had confronted him on the fact that Gaara was a workaholic. Nobody else had dared to.

As he and Kankuro left his office, the former locking the doors behind him and shoving the key into his pocket, neither failed to notice how Matsuri was instantly on her feet, smiling brightly. Apparently, she was no longer sulking.

"Gaara–sama!" she exclaimed, though paused when she noticed that he was leaving for the day. "It's only five!"

"You will no longer have to come in on Wednesdays or Saturdays, Matsuri." Gaara told her over his shoulder as he made his way over to the elevator. "You also now finish at five instead of seven."

Like his siblings' reaction, Matsuri's eyes widened, although she seemed more horrified than shocked. "B–But Gaara–sama! What about–"

"It does not matter." it only vaguely registered in his mind how he was interrupting everyone today. "I will see you on Thursday morning at nine."

Not even giving her the chance to reply, he and Kankuro entered the elevator and the younger of the two ignored the expression on Matsuri's face. She seemed genuinely gutted about not working as many hours as she used to. Kankuro couldn't understand why she felt that way. Sure, everyone knew that she had a thing for Gaara, but wouldn't a young girl like her enjoy having more free time? To him, she didn't come across as the workaholic type. The type wanting to impress her boss, yes, but definitely not a workaholic. He had seen how worn out she looked every now and then when she thought nobody was watching.

"You're serious about this, aren't you?" Kankuro asked as Gaara pressed the car park floor button. It was underneath the building and you could only access it from the outside if you had a key. Inside the building, anybody could go down there. It was kind of like a basement. "About taking days off and not working as long." Gaara nodded once, his eyes fixed on the numbers as they made their way down. "I think it'll be good. You're stressed. Anybody can see that." Gaara's eyes drifted over to Kankuro's. "I bet Sakura's going to be made up with your new schedule."

There was an impish look in Kankuro's eyes, one that had Gaara barely holding back a growl as he once again turned to face the doors.

Inwardly, however, he was feeling much lighter already. Sure, Gaara knew that the stress that had been building up the past few months wouldn't just fall off his shoulders, but it was a start.

And he was looking forward to telling Sakura the news.

* * *

**A/N - So, since I'm in an extremely good mood once again, I felt like updating with the next chapter!**

**HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


	5. We Should Celebrate!

**Chapter 5 – We Should Celebrate!**

By the time Gaara returned home from work, Sakura was sat at the island in their kitchen, her laptop in front of her and coursework covering the black marble island. There was a faint crease between her brows as she wrote a note here and there, as she searched for answers on the internet whilst chewing on her pen before writing down what she had found out. And despite the fact Ao had run over to the door the moment Gaara entered their home, Sakura seemed too immersed by her work to notice him. That didn't surprise Gaara, though. After all, he was home an hour and a half earlier than usual.

For a moment, Gaara watched his fiancée working. She had pulled her hair back into a high ponytail, occasionally pushing a stray strand of hair behind her ears when it got in the way. Something about the way she worked had always captured his attention. Even though it was pretty simple and not all that interesting, it still made him stop and stare. Sakura was serious about her decision to become a psychiatrist. It was something she loved and enjoyed and it was nice seeing her so dead–set about something. Despite her own mental illness, she was determined not to let it get in her way.

In some ways, in his eyes, Sakura was a motivator. In others' eyes, she was an inspiration and somebody they looked up to.

And that made him feel so happy for her.

Ao suddenly barked once, warning Sakura that she was no longer alone and whilst she only vaguely heard his bark, her had snapped up and turned in the direction of the archway connecting the kitchen and the hallway, her eyes widening at the sight of Gaara.

"You're home early!" she told him as she began to clear up her coursework. "I wasn't expecting you to be home for another hour and a half! I was going to make dinner."

During the time they had been living together, Sakura had taken a few cooking classes, saying that it wouldn't be fair to always expect Gaara to be the one to cook because she simply couldn't do it. He couldn't complain, really. Instead of just barely being able to make something edible, Sakura could cook fairly well, though she was better at preparing certain meals than others.

At the smile pulling at the corners of Gaara's lips, Sakura slowed in her cleaning, frowning softly as she stopped altogether. "Did something happen at work?"

Gaara set down his briefcase and fully entered the kitchen, greeting Sakura with a kiss on the lips. She seemed distracted during the short kiss, so he decided to fill her in. "I have decided to change my work schedule." noticing the happiness in her eyes flickering to life, he continued. "I will now be working from eight in the morning to five in the afternoon and I will also be taking Wednesdays and Saturdays off."

A large smile almost split Sakura's face in half as she threw her arms around his neck, crushing him against her. "That's great! I have college on Wednesdays, but I come back here during my lunch break to take Ao for a walk. We can spend more time together this way!" she grinned, pulling away to smile up at him and Gaara honestly felt so much better seeing the genuine happiness in her eyes. "You won't have to stress yourself out anymore! When does your new schedule start?"

"Immediately." he informed her, his hands resting on her hips like they always had done whenever they stood in such a way together. "I was tired of only spending Sundays with you."

Sakura's smile dimmed to a softer one. "Me too." she whispered. "I miss how much time we used to spend together."

So he wasn't the only one, then. It seemed that, like him, Sakura also missed how somewhat simple their relationship used to be back in high school.

"I think we should order out tonight." Sakura smiled as she turned around and continued with cleaning away her things. "That way, we can both have an early night, since neither of us got any sleep." she paused for a moment, a frown pulling at her features as she looked back over at him. "I'm really sorry for how I acted this morning, Gaara. I don't know why–"

"You are just as stressed as I am." Damn. He was still interrupting people, even Sakura! That early night sounded awfully appealing, especially as he could now feel how tired he truly was. "I'll call the place down the street. It will only take twenty minutes to arrive."

"Oh! Order me that chicken thing, you know the spicy one you had before?" Gaara nodded once and went to go and find a leaflet.

As she finally cleared away her things, Sakura couldn't wipe the smile from her face. The news of Gaara being able to spend more time with her was honestly the best thing she had heard all day! What made her happier, however, was that Gaara was finally noticing how stressed he truly was and was actually doing something about it. Of course, Sakura knew for a fact that tomorrow, he would be doing work in his office until she had her lunch break, but that didn't matter. There was always something relaxing about being able to work from home. There was less pressure and was just genuinely more comfortable.

"How about a bath after dinner?" Sakura called to him once she heard Gaara hanging up the phone.

Instead of voicing his reply, the moment Gaara returned into the kitchen, he nodded once in agreement. It sounded quite nice, to be honest. Even though he preferred showers, he did enjoy sharing a bath with Sakura. It was relaxing to simply lay there together, holding each other. Now that he thought about it, they hadn't done that in a while.

Their food arrived in record time and after they had eaten dinner and put their dirty dishes into the dishwasher, he took Ao out for a quick walk whilst Sakura ran them a hot bath, surprising Gaara when he returned as she lit a few scented candles. The moment he picked up on their scents, he couldn't help but smile. They were the same candles Sakura had used during their first time together. He still couldn't distinguish their smells, but just like back then, right now, it was a pleasant smell and wasn't overwhelming at all. Ao huffed and went to polish off the rest of his food before laying down on his bed and going to sleep.

She was already in the bath by the time Gaara entered the bathroom and as he undressed himself, she sat up, shifting forward slightly so that he could settle down behind her. Their bathtub was large enough for at least four people, but they still stuck close to one another, holding each other as Sakura leaned back until her back was against his chest, her hands resting on his arms as they wrapped around her waist. It felt more comfortable that way and much more intimate.

However, when he felt her tense ever so slightly, he frowned. "What's wrong?"

For a moment there was silence as Sakura adjusted his hold on her waist, raising his arms until it seemed more like they were wrapped just under her breasts rather than on her stomach. "Cramps." she sighed.

Which meant her period would start in about three to six days.

So Matsuri had been wrong, then. Sakura was not pregnant. Gaara couldn't deny that he was slightly glad about that, as he was most definitely not ready to be a father, but if she had been pregnant, there was no doubt in his mind that he still would have stuck around. For her, Gaara would have learned how to be a father. However, just because she had stomach cramps, it didn't mean she would be starting her period. They could be from the food she had just eaten.

"Sakura," Gaara forced himself not to show his hesitance as he spoke, "are you still taking your birth control pill?"

She pulled away from him, turning and looking down at Gaara questioningly. "Of course. I've told you before, Gaara, that I don't only take those things to prevent pregnancy."

Of course he remembered that and it had stunned him when he discovered that Sakura's periods used to be much more painful than what they already were. Well, they weren't always painful, but sometimes they were. "I know." he replied with a sigh. "I told Matsuri to tell me what happened and she suggested that the reason why you were so suddenly sick was because you could be pregnant."

"Pregnant?" Sakura repeated, her eyes wide. "Gaara… I don't even think it's possible for me to conceive! I've never really asked Shizune–san or Tsunade–sama about it, but when I starved myself, I know for a fact that I messed my body up and not only then, but also with the overdose." looking down at her thighs, she frowned. "I'm not sure… I'm not sure if I even want children. At least, not right now. In the future, sure, I can see myself starting a family with you, but not right now."

It was quite an appealing thought, having a family with Sakura, but she was right. They weren't ready to start a family just yet. "It's okay." Gaara told her with a small smile, pulling her against him once again. "I simply had to rule out that possibility before I can take action against Matsuri."

Sakura nodded against his chest. "Did she say anything about the drugs?"

"Yes." Gaara sighed. "She asked me who would sell drugs to somebody who looked so young, who looked like a child."

As much as she shouldn't have done, Sakura couldn't help but snicker. "And you agreed, didn't you? I bet _that_ pissed her off."

Gaara rolled his eyes, his hand stroking Sakura's hip softly as he rested his cheek against her head. "Apparently so. Matsuri was sulking for the rest of the day."

Deciding that they had spoken about Matsuri enough for one evening (despite their conversation being only five minutes long, if that), Sakura turned in Gaara's arms and smirked up at him. "We should celebrate." her voice was a sultry whisper and in response to hearing the meaning behind her words, Gaara felt his body reacting to them. Her smirk widened. "What do you think?"

_Yes_. That was what he thought, especially as her hand found his hardening length, making his eyes close and his breath leave him in a sigh as she gave a firm pull.

Suddenly, the hand was leaving him and Gaara had to hold back a protest as he felt the water shifting and heard soft splashing, telling him that Sakura was standing up. When he opened his eyes, he watched her for a moment as she blew out the candles, not bothering with a towel as she glanced over her shoulder at him. The smirk on her face was impish as Gaara stood up and followed her, only vaguely recalling pulling the plug from the bath to allow the water to drain.

They collapsed on the bed together, him on top of her, his length sliding so very easily into her heat. It always made his male pride soar whenever they were together in such a way, when he felt that Sakura was always ready for him. His thrusts were fast and forceful and Gaara loved the way she was panting his name, the way her body responded to his.

He pulled away not long after and he didn't need to tell Sakura what he was doing for her to understand. They knew each other well enough to know by now what the other meant. He wasn't pulling away, he was changing position. And as Gaara moved until he was on his knees, as he turned Sakura onto her stomach, she felt her pulse quicken much more so than what it already had been. Biting her lip, she stretched her arms out in front of her.

Their current position reminded Sakura of a cat. Well, _her _position did. Her knees were bent, legs spread wide, her chest pressed down against the bed with her ass in the air. It was like how a female cat would squat when it would present itself to a male. Sakura was inwardly screaming at herself. _What the hell_? Why was she thinking of cats mating at a time like this?

And then, Gaara was once again inside of her, making those stupid, pointless thoughts disappear.

The way he was slowly grinding against her made Sakura feel a little lightheaded, especially when Gaara tightened his hold on her hip and pressed even harder against her. If it wasn't for the fact that she was almost completely pressed down onto their bed with his other hand pushing down on her back, Sakura was certain that she would have collapsed. Her hips moved backwards, squirming and wiggling against him wantonly, making Gaara groan with pleasure as she did so.

"Gaara," Sakura whimpered, trying to look over her shoulder at him, "_please_."

At her request, he continued his thrusts, though they were much slower this time as Gaara placed his hands on each side of her body, leaning over Sakura and lowering himself so that he was only a couple of inches above her. She closed the rest of the distance, somehow lifting herself off of the bed and pushing her hips and shoulders against his, turning her head to the side where Gaara met her halfway and captured her lips in a passionate kiss, one that was interrupted with a particularly hard thrust that had her crying out.

It didn't take long for him to bring her to orgasm and it also didn't take long for him to join her as Sakura cried out his name in such a way that it had his thrusts faltering, body tensing.

He fell against her, his breathing hot and harsh against her neck, causing her to shiver every time he exhaled. All that went through Sakura's mind at that moment in time was that she loved him. And as he slowly pulled out of her, as his arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her back to his chest as he rolled himself over on the bed, that love only seemed to strengthen. She turned in his arms, kissing him tenderly whilst Gaara's hands continued to stroke her body affectionately.

"I love you." Sakura mumbled sleepily.

By the time the words left her lips, she was already asleep and the sight of her had Gaara's heart warming, had him adjusting his hold so that she was closer to him.

He loved her too.

* * *

**A/N - Only a short chapter this week, but I'll make it up to you all! :-)**

**HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


	6. Nothing To Worry About

**Chapter 6 – Nothing To Worry About**

"Yelling?" Itachi repeated flatly. "You called this meeting because they had an argument?"

Deidara glanced over at Sasori, who appeared to be just as emotionless at Itachi. "You didn't hear it, yeah. They were screaming at each other and smashing things."

The Uchiha sighed with barely hidden annoyance. When Deidara had called him, saying that he had some new information, Itachi had believed he meant about Orochimaru. Not about Sakura and Gaara's relationship. What was going on with the blond? Not even a year ago, he wouldn't have thought twice about arguments and would have simply ignored them unless they were his orders to listen in on them. Perhaps he was bored? But that was no excuse. "Sakura can be extremely short tempered, as I am sure you have already figured out." Itachi explained with a small amount of patience. "As for Gaara–kun, although he has definitely changed since they left school, it is obvious that he still has some anger issues."

"What if we told you about Sakura locking herself in one of the rooms and crying non–stop for about four hours?"

If they hadn't been watching him so closely, they would have never seen the smallest fraction Itachi's eyes just narrowed.

Noticing this, Deidara continued Sasori's words. "We're right across the hall from them, yet we heard every word, yeah. And earlier that day, Sakura came back in tears, looking as though somebody had just told her bad news."

Sakura was crying? She had been fine just the other day. How long had it been since her surprise party, since Gaara proposed? Not even a week. What reason would she have to be upset? And what about Gaara? Itachi disliked getting involved in their relationship, as it was no–one's business but their own, but if Gaara was hurting her (obviously not physically as he knew Gaara would never do such a thing), then the Uchiha knew he had to step in. Better him than Naruto or Sasuke. Especially the latter.

Since their breakup, Sasuke had grown extremely protective of Sakura, saying that he refused to lose her (or almost lose her again), a third time. If he couldn't have her as his girlfriend or wife, then he would rather have her as his friend. Their bond was too strong to simply let it die. If he heard that Gaara was emotionally hurting Sakura, it could, _would_, set him off. His medication was working and so were the monthly therapy sessions, but there was always that tick, or the clenching of his fists, that warned you something was about to happen, that his rage was growing. Not always anger, but any negative feeling could set him off.

"Their relationship is none of our business." Itachi finally replied, giving them both a hard look. "You are there to protect them both from Orochimaru and his men. Remember that. You are not their friends, you are like their bodyguards, in a way. Unless Sakura personally comes to me for advice, I will not intervene. None of us will get involved in their relationship. Is that understood?"

Deidara's upper lip curled with anger at being spoken down to, whilst Sasori remained blank, but both nodded in agreement.

"Fine. But the next time their yelling wakes me up, I'm going over there. I don't have the patience to be dealing with that shit, yeah. It's not exactly nice hearing some girl crying to herself in her room."

Or thinking that she was crazy.

* * *

Sakura _loved _Gaara's new schedule. She absolutely loved it.

It had only been two weeks since he had started coming home earlier and taking two extra days off from work, but already, Sakura could see that it was helping him. He no longer returned home completely exhausted and on the days that he had off, they spent them together. Last weekend, they had even spent the weekend with her parents.

The weekend had been nice, in her honest opinion. No, it had been great. They all went camping, despite it not really being their kind of thing. It wasn't luxurious, but the view they had was breathtaking. Ao had enjoyed himself, too. In fact, Sakura was willing to bet that he was still exhausted as the entire drive back to the condo, he had been pretty much dead to the world. As well as Ao enjoying the outdoors, Sakura had enjoyed it, too. It was different. Sure, there were no hot showers and she wouldn't be able to live out there, but going every once in a while would be nice. Not to mention the fact that, out there, away from the city, they had been able to see the stars. Laying with not only her parents and Ao, but also Gaara, under the stars, had been amazing.

Things between them were settling down once again. Matsuri wasn't brought up other than that time in the bath and to be honest, Sakura didn't care. She didn't care if the girl got away with everything she had said or done. At the end of the day, Gaara came home to _her_, not Matsuri. He loved _her_, not Matsuri. He had proposed to her, saying, without words, that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. Matsuri didn't matter. She was nothing. She was nothing other than his employee.

Smiling to herself, Sakura parked her car and took her keys out of the ignition.

Today had been a hectic day to say the least and it was only noon, now. Since she no longer visited Gaara on their lunch breaks (because despite not giving a shit about Matsuri, Sakura knew for a fact that if the girl said anything to her, she would hit her and it just wasn't worth the trouble it would cause), Sakura had arranged to meet a certain Uchiha.

She loved this café. Always had, always will. It hadn't changed in the slightest in the past year and Sakura was glad about that. It was one of her most favourite places in Konoha.

"Itachi!" she smiled brightly as he entered the café and in return, he smiled at her, walking over to her table and sitting down. "How've you been?"

"You only spoke to me an hour ago, Sakura, and you asked the exact same question." he reminded her. "But I am doing fine. What about you?"

"The usual." Sakura waved dismissively. "Tsunade–shishou said that I'm making great progress as well as my tutor at college. Which reminds me, is Sasuke free any time this week during lunch? There's always one meeting or another and I still need to thank him for letting me interview him on his I.E.D. It really helped me out and because of his cooperation, I got a distinction!"

In response to her happiness, Itachi gave her a gentle smile. He knew there had been nothing to worry about when Deidara and Sasori called him to that meeting almost two weeks ago now. Every couple had arguments! It was when they were indifferent to each other that you needed to worry. Any emotion was better than no emotion, after all. "I'm glad to hear that." Itachi told her. "And he should be free this Friday afternoon. Neither of us have any meetings and if we do, I can go through with them without him. Sasuke is working hard lately and could do with a rest."

Her fingers drummed against the table as her smile brightened. When was the last time she had lunch with Sasuke? Not for a while, that was for sure. He had been at the surprise party, but they hadn't really had the chance to speak since Gaara had pulled her up on stage and proposed. Nothing big, really. Oh who the hell was she kidding? Sometimes, her mind would wander whilst staring down at the ring on her finger!

She could see it all now, the life they were going to live. A large, beautiful house like her family home with an even larger garden for Ao to play in, possibly even a pool for those hot summer days. They _had_ to get a hot tub, too! As soon as she passed her course and received her license to start taking on and treating patients, Sakura was determined to save all her money up. Gaara earned a ridiculous amount that made it possible for her to not even bother working, but where was the fun in that? Who wanted to give their wife money to pay for their own gifts? Sakura wanted to spoil Gaara just as much as he spoiled her. And it was going to be with _her_ money.

Watching the expression on Sakura's features, Itachi chuckled. He didn't mind that she had wandered off into her own little world. It was nice simply being with her once again. Now that they were both incredibly busy and not just himself, they rarely had the chance to meet up or spend time together. He missed the girl he considered as his sister.

"So," Sakura suddenly spoke up, her smile simmering until it was more gentle, "found anyone yet?"

Oh, but if there was one thing Itachi would change about Sakura, it was her need to know everything about his more personal life. The truth was, was that no, he had not found somebody he wished to be with. Being who he was made that difficult. Girls and women, sometimes even women twice his age, threw themselves at him without a care. Itachi preferred women who had more class and respect for themselves. That didn't make him a saint, though. There were times when his self–control slipped and he took advantage of his 'fan–club'. Just like anybody in his position would. But they were nothing more than one night stands. Even Sasuke had those.

He felt sorry for his little brother. Since breaking up with Sakura, he had dated only two other girls, but that never lasted longer than a month or so. Itachi knew that Sasuke was trying, he really was, but he just couldn't force something he wasn't feeling. It would take a while for Sasuke to truly get over Sakura and Itachi didn't blame him. They had been together not only intimately, but also friends, for such a long time. Even Gaara understood that.

"No." he replied smoothly, though paused for a moment as they both gave their orders to the waitress. "And how are things with Gaara–kun?"

"Some days are easier than others." she shrugged carelessly, accepting the cold, fizzy drink that had been brought to her whilst Itachi accepted his tea with a polite 'thank you'. "We argue, but we make up afterwards."

Realising that this was his opportunity to find out just what the hell Deidara had been so concerned about, Itachi asked, "Arguments?"

"Mm." Sakura hummed as she swallowed the mouthful of her drink and placed the can onto the table. "There are quite a few, really. Some unimportant, others more serious. The latest one was about his bitch."

Gaara was having an _affair_? Itachi's mind came to a screeching halt. "His…?"

A grimace flitted over her features. "Yeah. His secretary. She's been planting thoughts into Gaara's head that I'm pregnant."

So he wasn't having an affair? Itachi sighed. Sakura really needed to learn how to word her sentences properly, otherwise people were certainly going to get the wrong idea. Say it had been Naruto in his place? Even if he was now best friends with Gaara, he would have lost it. Any of Sakura's friends would have. Itachi couldn't even deny that _he_ had felt anger pulsing through him! Then Sakura's words slammed into him like a punch to the gut. Sakura. Pregnant. What? "You're pregnant?"

"No!" Sakura yelled, but soon lowered her voice when those in the café turned to stare at them in shock. Blushing, she continued, "I turned up at lunch one day to his office and I threw up," it would probably be best _not_ to tell Itachi what her suspicions were, "which then led to Matsuri asking Gaara if I'm pregnant."

That was good to hear. Even though, in this day and age, young people got pregnant all the time, Itachi would rather Sakura be married first. He would rather her have a secure job that pays well, so that she wouldn't have to rely on Gaara for money. Don't get him wrong, he would be there for her if she needed some support, some extra money, but Sakura was at the age now where she had to learn to stop expecting her parents and siblings (even if they weren't blood related) to be there at every beck and call. She needed to be more independent.

"Why would she say such a thing?"

"She wants him." Sakura shrugged again, but this time, Itachi could easily read the anger in her eyes. "Having children is a big thing, isn't it? And Matsuri must have thought that it would scare Gaara away from me, leading to him somehow hooking up with her. Like he'd even go near her!" her teeth gritted together, honestly frightening the waitress who placed their meals down on the table before them. Itachi smiled apologetically at the woman, earning him a swoon that he immediately turned away from. "I've told her so many times now that Gaara is _mine_. Do you know how hard it is not to just jump over her stupid little desk and rag her around by her ratty, ugly brown hair?"

Itachi gave her a mock–serious look. "I take it you aren't the best of friends, then."

Groaning, Sakura dug into her food, but lowered her cutlery after a moment to continue speaking. "Not at all. It's like…" she thought for a moment, her eyes narrowing. "Think of the person you dislike the most and _then_ imagine them trying to take the woman you love. I know Gaara's a guy, but so are you and unless you're not telling me something–"

"I am not homosexual, Sakura." Itachi told her with a smirk.

"It's not a bad thing if you are, you know. It wouldn't change how I see you. You'd still be an older brother to me!"

That was sweet to know. "I am not."

She shrugged. "Okay."

With that, they both tucked into their meals, pausing every now and then to make a comment or to start a new conversation.

* * *

**A/N - Another short chapter!**

**I've had 'Rumour Has It' by Adele stuck in my head for the past _two days_! Somebody help me. Please?**

**Oh God. You all need to watch 'KakaSaku - Love' by a user called 'Marek K' on YouTube. I was so not prepared for that animation and I had a huge fan-girling attack.**

**HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


	7. How Is That Even Possible?

**Chapter 7 – How Is That Even Possible?**

She was wearing his shirt, Gaara noticed as he leaned against the archway that connected the kitchen and dining room. Sakura seemed too busy to notice his presence as she tried to move as quietly as possible through the kitchen, grabbing this and that and placing them on the counter.

Gaara was sure that this had to be when Sakura was at her most beautiful. Forget the makeup she wore, forget the fancy clothes and the heels and perfect hair. This, _this_, was what he loved most about her. Around him, she was completely comfortable in her own skin, was completely comfortable with him seeing her in such a way. Her hair was dishevelled from not only their lovemaking the night before, but also sleep. Her face was clean and clear of all makeup and besides his shirt, she was wearing only a pair of lacy underwear. It had taken him a moment to realise the last thing, but the second she had bent over to get something out of the back of the refrigerator, he had seen them.

It was only her who could ever make him feel such a way and before he could even stop himself, Gaara appeared behind her, whispering her name as he pinned her against the counter, making sure that she knew it was him so he didn't startle her. He heard her soft gasp of surprise, felt her try to look over her shoulder at him before her back arched when he tenderly cupped her breasts, knowing how sensitive they could be in the morning due to her preferring to sleep on her stomach and chest. His lips brushed gently against her neck, whispering sweet, loving words to her in between each kiss.

If you had told Gaara back when he was in high school, before he had gotten to know Sakura, that he would be engaged, have his own place with said woman and was completely and hopelessly in love with her, as well as the fact he acted completely out of character around her, he would have beaten the shit out of you, utterly crushed you and then laughed.

Wow. He had been pretty violent when he was younger, hadn't he?

"You're insatiable." Sakura breathed when she felt something rather hot and hard pressing against her.

"You're one to talk." he retorted, his hand moving to her thighs and parting them, changing position slightly before slipping her underwear down her legs. "You're always aroused."

"Not always." she shook her head, feeling a familiar heat pooling in her stomach. "Only around you."

It was ridiculous, Gaara told himself, but he couldn't deny that his heart warmed at her words. His caresses seemed much more affectionate as his hands smoothed their way over her hips, one arm wrapping around her waist whilst the other worked on shoving his underwear down before moving to her back, gently, silently, telling her to bend over. She did without question, leaning over the counter, her hands bracing her for what she knew was coming.

He couldn't help but moan almost inaudibly as he teased her entrance with the tip of his erection. She was _always_ ready for him. Damn, Gaara couldn't form a single coherent thought other than the fact that he was so very grateful that Sakura had such a high sex drive. If they could have gotten away with it, they would have never left their home, their bedroom. Her hips rocked backwards into his, her delicious gasp as he entered her emptying his mind further.

_God_ he loved this woman. She was amazing in his eyes. Yes, Sakura had her problems, but so did he. They worked on them _together_. That was what being in love was all about. Their relationship had always been that you give just as much as you take.

"Gaara," she groaned when he pinned her hips to the counter, stopping her attempts to make him change his pace, "go faster!"

Shaking his head, Gaara kissed her neck, making his way up until he lightly nibbled on a spot he knew to be sensitive. "I want to take you without things having to be rough." he whispered hotly into her ear. "I want to make love to you."

The feeling of his body curling around hers, his strong arms holding her lovingly, had her eyes slipping closed and all possible arguments fleeing her mind. In response, her arms moved over his, her hands holding his as Gaara affectionately and slowly rocked within her. She could feel his pants for breath against her neck between the hot, open mouthed kisses he placed there, making her hold on him tighten.

One hand pulled away from his, sliding over to his hip. Gaara growled warningly. Instead of listening, however, Sakura had him pausing in between each thrust, had him grinding against her before pulling his hips back. It made her feel dizzy and her vision blurred. That feeling intensified when Gaara's hand slipped down her body, rubbing the area where they connected until he heard the moan that was an octave higher than usual and hearing that moan, he went straight for the button hidden between her folds.

The response was immediate. Pulling out, Gaara turned Sakura around and pushed her up against the refrigerator, lifting her up effortlessly and once her legs were around his waist, he was inside of her again. He preferred watching her expression as she climaxed and seeing her now, the blush on her cheeks, her dazed eyes that were soon squeezing shut, the way she bit her lip…

His hips rolled against hers, making sure to create that delicious friction she was craving.

But then Ao began barking, telling them that somebody was at the door since they had failed to hear knocking – no surprise there.

"Shit." Gaara growled under his breath. There was no point in pretending not to be in – Ao had already given them away. And plus both of their cars were in the parking lot.

"D–Don't stop." she gasped, urging him to move faster.

A heated look flashed through his eyes a second before he called out "one minute" loud enough for the person at the door to hear. And then his hips were snapping up against hers harshly, causing the contents of the refrigerator to shake with each pounding of his hips, causing Sakura to bury her face into his shoulder, biting down on it to silence herself. It didn't work. She was crying out, fluttering around his length, telling him without words that her orgasm had finally reached her.

"_Gaara–kun? Sakura_?"

Oh shit.

Gaara growled and held Sakura tightly against his body, increasing his pace as a thin layer of sweat covered him. Damn it! It was Shisui. What the hell could he possibly want? Shouldn't he be at work?

Work.

Police force.

"_Fuck_."

All movements reluctantly stopped as Gaara's eyes snapped open and widened. He ignored Sakura's protests and threats as he lowered her to the ground. Her eyes were glazed over, her movements slow and sluggish, but she still managed to glare up at him as he found Sakura's underwear and slid them up her thighs. As much as he hated to do it, Gaara knew he could trust Shisui not to take advantage of Sakura's state of dress. As for him, he couldn't even find his fucking underwear! Answering the door naked, _aroused_, could most likely land him in a prison cell for indecent exposure.

"Gaara–"

"Answer the door," he told her quietly with a kiss, "I need to go and get some pants."

With that, he disappeared. She groaned, slowly making her way over to the door. Her body was still thrumming with her orgasm, so much so that she was trembling. After only a quick glance down at the shirt she was wearing (thankfully, due to it being Gaara's, it reached mid–thigh), Sakura threw the door open. It only vaguely registered in her mind that it must have taken her a while because by that time, Gaara returned, his eyes widening at the sight of Sakura.

"Uh, Sakura?" Shisui mumbled in shock. She looked… He couldn't even find the words. No matter how hard he tried to keep up his pokerface, it didn't work.

Sakura had been in the middle of climaxing when Shisui knocked.

_She was still climaxing_.

"I–I'll be back in a moment." she breathed, stumbling away as quickly as possible.

Gaara couldn't help but grimace. It didn't help that he was still aroused and had been close to his own release. To stop it from being obvious, he had thrown on a pair of drawstring pants as well as the thick robe Sakura had bought him for winter. It was a little warm for it, but it hid his erection well. He wanted nothing more than to follow Sakura as she all but threw herself into their bedroom, to help her ride out her orgasm and reach his own. He had thought that Sakura's orgasm had passed when he told her to answer the door. Gaara had no idea that she had still been climaxing!

"What is it?"

Taking a deep breath, Shisui closed the door behind him, greeting Ao with a pat on the head. "It will be best that we wait for Sakura, Gaara–kun."

Even though his eyes narrowed, Gaara nodded once and gestured with his head for Shisui to follow him as he made his way to the living room. "Would you like something to drink?"

"No, thanks. I can't stay too long. I'm here on police duty." Which would explain the uniform.

"How serious?"

It surprised Gaara when Shisui grimaced. "It depends on how Sakura handles the news."

So they sat in silence as they waited for Sakura to return. Luckily for them, it only took her a couple of minutes to calm herself and throw on some clothes. She certainly appeared more presentable when she entered the living room, giving Shisui a sheepish smile as she sat down beside Gaara, opposite the Uchiha.

"Just give me the bad news, Shisui." Sakura sighed, knowing by the look in his eyes that she wasn't going to like what he had to say.

"I came to inform you that Uzumaki Karin has managed to escape from Konoha Women's Prison. There had been a glitch in the security system and many escaped during that time, fighting their way out. She happened to be one of those."

Silence.

Karin had escaped? Why would she do something like that? Her sentence hadn't been all that long! Sakura wasn't scared of Karin. She never had been. However, would Karin be pissed with Sakura? The girl had an awful vindictive streak in her and she wouldn't put it past the redhead to actually attack her when she was least expecting it. Would that happen? What if she was already lurking about, waiting for an opening? Oh God. What if Sakura got into her car one morning and Karin was in the backseat, ready to–

Those paranoid thoughts _had to stop_.

"It was only the women's prison, right? Not the one where Kabuto is. He's not out, is he?" Sakura's hands shook. "Shisui, please tell me he's still locked away!"

The thought of Yakushi Kabuto out of prison terrified her. She could feel her heartbeat increasing dramatically, as well as her breathing. A cold sweat had broken out across her skin and any blissful feeling she had previously been experiencing was washed away by the cold sweat.

"No." Shisui told her, his concern for her obvious as he watched Gaara place a hand over hers, giving her a certain look that seemed to calm her down. "Yakushi is still locked away. He and the other four males were questioned this morning once more on Orochimaru's plans, but that is all I can tell you right now."

Gaara's eyes narrowed once again when he turned back to glance at Shisui. "Orochimaru's plans? Do you think Karin escaped because of him?"

He shook his head. "We're not sure what is happening. Right now, they're saying it was a glitch in the system that many of the female prisoners took advantage of. Already, over half of them have either turned themselves in or been caught."

"And what about Karin? Has she been caught?"

"I'm afraid not. Karin seems to be keeping a low profile right now and is most likely in hiding. You have to remember, Sakura, that it is mainly her fault why they got such long sentences in the first place. Those tapes she created were used against them in court, proving to the judge and jury that they were guilty. Orochimaru will not be pleased with her – and that is an understatement." she nodded shakily. "We're doing all we can to catch her, but at the moment, there are other women who are considered much more dangerous on the loose and they've taken top priority."

Sakura paled.

Gaara glared. "What?"

In response to their reactions, Shisui frowned. "You are not the only one in a situation such as this, Sakura. Many women and men are currently being sat down just like you both are, and are being told that the women they fear most, are currently roaming the streets of Konoha when they should be in their cells." he sighed, thankful that Gaara's glare lessened and Sakura grew more understanding, but still a little shaken up. "If there was something more that I could do, believe me, I would do it, Sakura. Our officers are scouring the city as we speak and there is a warning to the public being released tonight."

"Which means Sakura's story will once again be on the news." Gaara stated. "To explain how dangerous some of these women are, the news will no doubt reshow whatever footage they have."

Once again, Shisui sighed and nodded. "I'm sorry. There is nothing I can do to stop them."

"I don't care about that." Sakura muttered, though made a mental note not to watch any new channels that night. "Please just… keep me updated on what happens and if you find her."

"Sakura, I must also warn you that if you spot Uzumaki Karin, you are not to approach her. It could be damaging to your case and given that she has escaped, it may be reopened to give her a longer sentence."

She wasn't even listening anymore. Her mind was simply all over the place. Noticing this, Gaara frowned. "Perhaps you should go and rest for a while, Sakura. I will see Shisui out."

Nodding, Sakura walked in the direction of the bedroom, Ao right behind her as he picked up on her mood.

Turning back to Shisui once the bedroom door was shut, Gaara sighed. "Thank you for informing us, Shisui."

"You don't have to thank me." he said honestly, standing up and following him as Gaara walked towards the front door. "I felt the news would be best coming from me instead of somebody Sakura does not know." Gaara nodded in response. "Gaara–kun, please take care of Sakura. She seems down and not only because of what I just told you both." the front door opened and once he stepped outside, Shisui nodded once and gave the Sabaku a smile. "I will make sure to be the one who updates you if there is any new information."

By the time Gaara entered the bedroom, neither of them were aroused and Sakura was curled up to Ao, who seemed to be comforting his owner. They had always had a strong connection, after all. It was like the dog could sense Sakura's emotions. His head was close to her, tucked under her chin but occasionally, Ao would lift his large head and lick her face, bringing a small smile to Sakura's lips. Gaara knew how deeply she cared for the dog. As strange as it sounded, he knew she thought of Ao like he was her child, not just a pet.

Removing his robe, he placed it on the back of the door's hook and made his way over to the bed, slipping under the covers and wrapping his arms around Sakura. He knew better than to drag her away from Ao, though. The dog would glare at him and growl before those growls soon turned into barks. Mornings were Ao's time, since Gaara was usually at work by now. It was annoying knowing that the dog got possessive of Gaara's fiancée, but he allowed it.

"That was embarrassing." Sakura chuckled after a while, her left hand reaching behind her and holding onto Gaara, whilst her right hand continued to lazily scratch Ao's head. Gaara enjoyed feeling the engagement ring on her finger, brushing against his skin every so often. However, he couldn't wait to change that ring to a wedding ring. That would be the day when they tied themselves to each other in every way humanly possible. "I wish he'd waited at least another hour."

So did Gaara. It was an unpleasant feeling talking to an officer, talking to Shisui, whilst he had an erection. It had been well hidden but that was beside the point.

"I'll make it up to you later." Sakura added.

He liked the sound of that.

* * *

The walk was a mixture of feelings for Sakura.

About an hour after laying in bed with Gaara and Ao, she had decided it'd probably be best to walk the latter and _just in case_, the former joined.

This was supposed to be over by now. Karin and everyone else were all supposed to be locked away. She was supposed to feel safe when she left their home! But she didn't. Even now, with Gaara by her side and Ao running to and from them, catching the ball and bringing it back, Sakura did not feel safe. It felt like she was being watched and it was freaking her the fuck out!

When the hell was all of this going to end?

Probably never.

But that wasn't what she had been promised. They had promised Sakura that she would be safe. That everyone she loved would be safe. Karin… No, she didn't scare Sakura. The things that woman was capable of? Kind of _did_ scare her. Karin was one of Orochimaru's most loyal bitches. All the way through that mind numbing trial she had defended him in sneaky little ways, not giving up all of the information she knew, only small, unhelpful things.

"Gaara?"

He glanced down at her, watching her features for a second. "What is it?"

"Do you think…" she trailed off, her eyes narrowing on the ground that continuously disappeared beneath her feet. "What if _he_ gets out, too?"

Nothing more needed to be said for Gaara to know exactly what Sakura was thinking. Coming to an abrupt stop, he pulled on Sakura's hand, yanking her against him roughly. But despite the roughness of his handling, the embrace he held her in was warm and comforting. It made Sakura release a deep exhale and close her eyes. "Then I'll protect you." he whispered into her ear, tightening his arms around her. "I won't let anything happen to you, Sakura. I promise."

"I just want this to be over already." Sakura told him shakily, her hold on him bordering on painful as she pressed her forehead against his shoulder. "I thought that I could put all of this into the past, but it keeps coming back a–and _it won't stop_!"

Realising that Sakura was going to breakdown and knowing that she wouldn't want it to be in the middle of a park with so many people around, he called for Ao to return, releasing Sakura for a moment as he connected the lead onto the harness. Once that was done Gaara took her hand and guided them both back to the car. His hand was firm and even comforting to her, just like his embrace had been.

The drive felt like forever when it was only minutes. However, when they reached their floor and was about to enter their apartment, they noticed a blond sitting on the ground, his knees bent and his elbows resting on them.

"Naruto?"

Naruto opened his eyes and noticing who it was, he quickly jumped to his feet. "Hey! I've been waiting here for ages, man. We were supposed to meet up, remember?"

Oh right. With everything that had been going on and with what the had found out, Gaara had completely forgotten. He couldn't even remember what plans he and Naruto had made. "Can we do this another day?" Gaara asked, glancing down at Sakura as she unlocked their front door, leaving it open for him as she took Ao inside. They didn't have to worry about him running back out because there were only two homes on their floor. Theirs and the one across from them, Sasori and Deidara's. "Now isn't a good time."

Blond eyebrows mashed together as he watched Sakura walking away without even greeting him. The split second he had seen her features, however, Naruto had realised that something was up. Sakura looked close to tears and stressed. He didn't like that look. "What's wrong with Sakura–chan?"

Gaara sighed, wanting nothing more than to follow her. "Karin broke out of prison, Naruto. Shisui came by this morning to inform us. It will be on the news tonight."

"As well as what happened to Sakura–chan and why Karin needs to be caught." Naruto gritted his teeth with a look of anger so very obvious on his features. "How the hell did she get out?"

"There was a glitch in the security system." Gaara muttered distractedly before giving Naruto his full attention. "I need to go. I don't want Sakura to be alone right now. As soon as I am free, however, I will call you to rearrange our plans."

He shook his head, blond hair flopping about as he did. It was growing, now looking just as long as his father's did. "Don't worry about it! Keep an eye on her for me, though, okay? Tell me if anything happens."

"I will." he nodded once to the blond, quickly entering his home and shutting the door. It was rude of him to dismiss Naruto so abruptly, but Gaara knew that he understood. Right now Sakura needed him and he had to be there for her.

A sigh escaped him when he found Sakura standing in the centre of their living room, glancing around herself in confusion. That confusion broke when he placed a hand on her shoulder, startling her for a moment until she saw his face.

"I was thinking we should have a quiet day today." she told him softly. "A lazy day."

"That sounds good." Gaara nodded in agreement. "Do you want anything to eat? We still have some of that spicy chicken pasta you enjoy."

"That sounds good." she repeated his words, giving him a smile. That smile widened for a couple of seconds when Gaara kissed her forehead affectionately. "I'm going to go for a shower first, though. Did the newest season of Supernatural arrive yet? We need to catch up."

Gaara chuckled but was inwardly worried. "Yes. It came yesterday. Don't you remember? You acted like a child on Christmas morning."

It was the truth, too. After he had left work yesterday, knowing that Sakura would have forgotten to, Gaara checked their mailbox downstairs and found that her latest order had arrived. The second Sakura realised what had been in his hands, she had been jumping around and grinning like she had won some sort of fantastic prize, practically yelling that they _had_ to catch up. Due to their busy schedules, they hadn't been able to watch the latest season, so had been planning on watching it this weekend. They were the kind of couple who could watch an entire season in one or two days and they loved it. Going out and getting drunk just wasn't Gaara's thing and Sakura couldn't get drunk and wasn't a big fan of large crowds anymore. Besides, sitting together on the sofa with snacks and takeout, watching her favourite show, was a pretty good weekend in Sakura's eyes.

"I will have everything set up and ready for when you're done." Gaara told her when Sakura blushed with embarrassment at the fact she forgot. "Go and take a shower, put your pyjamas back on and get comfortable."

She smiled brightly.

* * *

As the lights flickered, Sakura narrowed her eyes in confusion. The entire time they had been living there, the lights had never flickered or blown. The bulbs had never needed changing. Oh God. The lights had better not switch off whilst she was in the shower! In the bathroom, there were absolutely no windows – the lights were the only source of light. If they went, she would be left in the dark. Alone.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, willing herself to calm down. Flickering lights was not something to get worked up over.

Much to her delight the lights did not flicker again when she opened her eyes. Turning around with her back to the water, Sakura tilted her head back, running her fingers through her hair as she washed out the shampoo, sighing in relaxation. A nice, hot shower always relaxed her.

But then the lights started flickering again.

Only this time, they shut off for ten seconds, plunging her into darkness.

And when they came back on a terrified, bloodcurdling scream tore out of her.

Standing before her, dressed in the exact same way he had been on _that night_, was Yakushi Kabuto. He simply stood there and stared at her.

The hallucinations were starting already, but right now, Sakura was not thinking logically. In the back of her mind she knew what she was seeing wasn't real. However, with all of the stress and discovering what she had not too long ago, her mind wasn't exactly in the right place at that moment in time. All Sakura could see was Kabuto standing opposite her, staring down at her with those dark, vicious eyes. He was staring down at her like she was an experiment.

And all Sakura could do was stand there in shock. Well, that and shake.

A hand grabbed her arm, immediately gaining her attention as Sakura startled, moving backwards desperately and almost slipping in the process. "Get off!" she screamed, not daring to look up and see those ugly, murderous eyes. "_Get off_! You're not real!"

But then that hand moved, releasing her arm until it was roughly cupping her cheek, soon joined by another hand. Together they tilted her head up, forcing her to meet not dark and unforgiving eyes, but icy blue and concerned. It wasn't Kabuto. It was Gaara.

"You're okay." he told her, not releasing her face for a moment as he stared down at her. "He's not here. You're safe."

A sob ripped out of Sakura as Gaara crushed her against him, as she gripped a tight hold of his now wet shirt and cried.

When would this torture be over?


	8. I'm Leaving

**Chapter 8 – I'm Leaving**

It felt like her entire life was slowly going downhill.

Why? Well, for a number of reasons.

It had been over a month now since they had been informed Karin escaped from prison. She had still not been caught and nobody had even seen her. How the hell was that possible? Karin wasn't exactly hard to fucking miss!

Sakura took a deep, calming breath, trying to shut out the unpleasant sound of her mother's cries.

Altogether, it had been less than two months since Gaara proposed. Things hadn't been perfect, but then again, nothing was ever perfect. Things had been pleasant, comfortable. He took care of her like he had in high school and she took care of him. But right at that moment in time, it just… It didn't feel like enough. It had been just under two months since she confronted him, screamed at him, that he didn't believe her. That feeling had multiplied since then. It was crushing her.

Tightening her hold on her phone, Sakura ended the call for the seventh time, her movements stilted as she tried to keep calm.

_But why the fuck wasn't he picking up__?_

She had been here in this awful place for hours now. The first thing Sakura had done when she received the news was call Gaara. But what happened? His bitch answered – Matsuri. She told Sakura that he was in an important meeting. So, despite the pain in her chest and the fact she needed him _right then_, she had accepted it. He was in charge of an entire company, after all. Then, two hours later, believing that his meeting would be over, she called back. Still in a meeting. An hour after _that_. Another meeting. Sakura had even told Matsuri to stop fucking around, that she needed him. She had even told Matsuri _why_ she needed Gaara.

No sympathy. No treaty for _just today_ of _all fucking days_.

Sakura's left eye twitched and her hands shook for a moment with barely restrained anger.

"Sakura?"

She didn't even notice as a tear slipped down her cheek.

"Sakura."

Her eyes squeezed shut, her hold on the phone tightening once more. She felt the urge to throw it against the wall, to scream her frustrations and anger and _fuck_ she was feeling _so low_! It scared her. Sakura hadn't felt this way in a long time and it was terrifying her. She needed Gaara. He kept her calm. It felt like she was under water again and she couldn't breathe. It felt like he was swimming away, leaving her to drown when she needed him most.

There was the sound of somebody sighing before a familiar face was kneeling in front of her, giving Sakura an understanding look. "Sakura, go home."

She shook her head weakly. "My mom–"

"I have called Kushina–san." Shizune told her softly. There was a pause where the dark haired woman regarded Sakura, taking in her position. It looked as though the younger woman had fallen back against the wall and slid down it. It wouldn't surprise Shizune if that had happened. The news she had received today would have been a shock to say the least. "Go home to Gaara–kun and get some rest."

Go home to Gaara.

Like that would do any good.

"Sakura, please." a different voice spoke up. It was low and shaking with barely suppressed emotions and when Sakura looked up, she saw her mother standing not too far away. She was trembling with silent sobs, her face flushed red and her sadness was so very obvious. It killed Sakura inside seeing that look. "Go to Gaara–kun."

She stood up without another word and left.

* * *

The drive was silent. There was no music to calm her down. Sakura didn't have the energy to switch on the radio right at that moment in time.

Everything was just… not how they were supposed to be. Everything was wrong, _damn it_! Gaara wasn't supposed to be ignoring her. He wasn't supposed to have a slut for a secretary. He was supposed to love _her_.

_He was supposed to fucking believe her!_

Fuck! Sakura took another deep breath, willing herself to calm down.

A second later, she was turning the car around, ignoring the cars that slammed on their brakes, tyres screeching as they desperately tried to avoid a collision. They didn't matter. Sakura didn't even notice the angry yells following her car, the middle fingers and other rude gestures. They were not important. She had to go and find Gaara. He wasn't in a fucking meeting! His bitch of a secretary was lying to her. And if that wasn't the case, then Gaara was avoiding her. Why? Why would he avoid her? Had she done something wrong?

Pain exploded in the side of her head as it smashed against her window, causing her vision to blur for a split second. The moment her car stopped spinning, Sakura was driving again, once again ignoring the car that had just crashed into her like they were playing bumper cars. The other driver had already gotten out of their car to check on her, so they clearly weren't injured. That meant that they were not important.

_She needed to see Gaara_.

Something warm and wet was dripping down the side of her face and a quick glance in her rear–view mirror told Sakura that she had a head injury. Whatever. Head injuries always bled more. She'd be fine.

But… What if she wasn't?

What if she fell unconscious whilst driving, effectively causing another car crash? Only, this time, the crash killed her?

It'd definitely take away the great amount of stress she was feeling.

No. That would be wrong of her. As much as she wanted for that awful feeling of something gnawing at her, picking at her, to go away, her mother needed her too much right now.

It was in that split second that Sakura made a rather big decision.

Her speed increased as she leaned forward, swerving and overtaking other cars as she rushed towards the place where Gaara worked – Sabaku Corporation's Headquarters. It would definitely be a surprise for him.

* * *

Oh this was not happening.

Please tell her that this was not fucking happening.

"I told you, you can't go in there!" Matsuri snapped, standing in the way of Gaara's office so Sakura had no other choice but to stop all movements unless she literally shoved her out of the way. "Gaara–sama is busy with a meeting right now! You need to leave."

"Which means he _won't_ be in his office, idiot." Sakura spat in return, seriously contemplating on just hitting Matsuri. The thought was so very tempting. "He won't mind if I wait in there for him."

Matsuri's eyes narrowed dangerously as her arms dropped from being folded over her chest and hanging by her sides. Was she trying to challenge Sakura? In Konoha Psychiatric Hospital, that was how you knew somebody was looking for trouble. Having your arms folded or your hands busy meant you didn't want any trouble, whilst having your arms by your sides, your fists shaking and clenched, meant the exact opposite.

"Listen," the brunette glared viciously at Sakura, "he doesn't even love you! Gaara–sama just feels sorry for you and I don't blame him. Look at the state of you! There's blood all over your face. What are you, a tramp? That's not even mentioning your state of outfit. It's appalling. I can see why he looks at me the way he does, now. He thinks I'm prettier than you. I'm better–"

She was being slammed against the wall before she could even finish her sentence, an arm pressing against Matsuri's throat with unyielding firmness.

"I swear to God if you finish that sentence, I'm going to make sure you don't wake up for _a long time_."

And then the office doors were opening, revealing the Sabaku siblings.

"Sakura, what are you doing?" Gaara demanded as he pulled his fuming fiancée away from Matsuri, who coughed and wheezed as she tried desperately to regain her breath. His frown only deepened at the sight of Sakura's bloody head wound. "What happened to your head?"

She yanked her arm out of his hold like he had a disgusting disease. "Don't touch me." Sakura spat coldly. "I came to tell you that I will be staying at my mother's for a while."

It felt like his insides had turned to ice. Her mother's? Why was she pushing him away so suddenly? They had been fine this morning before he left for work! The night before, they had been laughing and joking and happy. What the hell had happened? "Why?"

Sakura laughed humourlessly as tears filled her eyes. "What? Your precious little secretary didn't tell you? She didn't tell you that I've been trying to get a hold of you all day because I _needed_ you?"

Gaara frowned as he tried to move closer to her, to comfort her and try to take away the pain he could see so clearly in her eyes, but Sakura pulled away from him again. There was a look of betrayal in her eyes that made him feel like he was being stabbed in the heart. "What happened, Sakura?"

"My dad's dead." she told him rather bluntly. "He had a heart attack this morning. The moment I found out, I tried ringing you, but Matsuri said you were in an important meeting." Sakura glanced at Temari and Kankuro, who both had their eyes fixed onto the ground before looking back at Gaara, who seemed stunned. "Seven hours. _Seven hours_ I waited for you to call me back. _Seven hours_ I spent at that damned hospital, hearing my mother cry a–and sob…" Sakura shook her head, cutting herself off. "When you didn't call back, I came here and for what? That bitch tried to kick me out of the building, saying once again that I need to stop bothering you with my over–dramatic problems!" Sakura took a deep breath to calm herself before speaking again. "I'm going to stay with my mother for a week or two. She needs me."

"You can't go and stay in that house!" Temari argued as she finally looked up at Sakura. "Sakura, that place holds a lot of bad memories for you and it will only make you feel worse."

Simply ignoring the blonde like she had been since that incident outside, Sakura forced back her tears and looked at Gaara. "I'll see you in a week or two, Gaara. And I hope you can see now what I've always been trying to tell you about Matsuri." then as she passed Matsuri, Sakura paused in front of her and before anybody could even react, her hand lashed out, slapping the brunette harshly across the face and making her head snap to the side, her lip splitting due to the force of not only Sakura's hand, but also her engagement ring striking her. "Don't _ever_ try to say in any way that you know me. _You know nothing._"

As she started to walk away, Sakura pulled her phone out of her pocket and called the first person who came to mind, ignoring the fact that four people were watching her in stunned silence.

"Hey… Itachi. Are you busy right now?" turning the corner towards the elevator, Sakura took a deep breath before speaking again. "I was kind of hoping that you might want to meet up. I'm having a… I'm having a pretty shitty day, to be honest."

By now, Sakura was in the elevator and she quickly pressed the ground floor button when she saw a head of blonde hair heading towards her at a fast pace. Temari looked as though she was about to yell at her to keep the elevator waiting, but the doors shut.

"_What happened, Sakura?_"

She closed her eyes as a single tear slipped down her cheek. "G–Gaara and I… we've had an argument an–and… my d–dad… He's…"

"_Sakura?_"

"He had a heart attack, Itachi." Sakura whispered into the phone as a silent sob shook her body. "He passed away this morning."

There was a moment of silence before Itachi spoke again. "_Where are you_?"

"I'm just leaving Sabaku Corporation."

"_I'll be right there, don't go anywhere._"

As soon as the doors to the elevator opened, Sakura was walking at a fast pace out of the building, falling against the wall once she was outside. She didn't care that people were watching her with concern or shock or disgust. They could all go and fuck themselves. Her hands fell to her knees as Sakura tried to calm her breathing, tried to force back the sobs threatening to escape her. It was difficult.

Soon enough a figure appeared by her side, holding out a tissue. Sakura scoffed and sent Temari a glare, ignoring the offer.

"You need to go to the hospital to get your head checked."

Get her head checked? _Get her fucking head checked_? There was nothing wrong with her head! Was Temari trying to insinuate that Sakura was out of her mind, that she was crazy? Anger washed through her and the breathing exercises she had been taught to try and calm her anger didn't help in the slightest.

"I didn't mean it like that." Temari said quickly, realising how it had sounded and noticing the way Sakura was tensing as though preparing to pounce. "Just… Look, Sakura. My brother loves you, _a lot_. I don't know what the hell went on back there, but he's hurting now. Gaara doesn't want you to leave."

If that was true, then why was Temari the one stood beside her and not Gaara? Unless he was still up there and comforting that whore. That was exactly what he was doing, wasn't it? He couldn't come and check up on his fiancée himself because he was too busy with his new fuck buddy! God she felt like such an idiot. Why wouldn't he choose Matsuri? Sakura was a victim. She was dirty and it was no secret that she had been with many different men and women – although not willingly.

A sob escaped Sakura before she could stop herself and a second later, her legs were giving out on her. Like back in the hospital she slid down the wall, now holding her head in her hands.

Her dad was dead. Sakura didn't even know what to think about that. It just felt so surreal.

"Sakura–"

Temari was cut off by another voice. "Sakura?"

Hearing Itachi's voice brought on another sob and he responded by helping her to her feet, taking a moment to assess her head wound. It was obvious that he didn't like the sight of it, especially when he murmured that they would be taking a stop at the hospital. Sakura wasn't sure who he was talking to at that point. All she knew was that she was crying, Itachi was holding her and Gaara was fucking his secretary.

And her father was dead.

They slid into the backseat of a car together, which would have surprised Sakura had her mind not been focused on other things. Like Gaara, Itachi didn't like being driven around – he preferred to drive himself. That could only mean that he wanted to be able to comfort her properly instead of focusing on the road.

"I will call Sasuke to collect your car for you, Sakura. Temari–san said that Gaara–kun took your keys."

He what? _He what_?

"He had no right." Sakura spat, her hands clenching tightly into fists.

"You are hardly capable of driving right now, Sakura." he chided quietly, sighing as he pulled her to his chest. So what if he got blood on his shirt? His little sister was in pain. Itachi would be lying if he said that _he_ was not in pain! Kazashi had been like a second father to him and Sasuke. And what of Mebuki? Where was she? Itachi hoped the woman was not alone, that somebody had been called to take care of her. "Where is your mother?"

She trembled for a moment. "She kept crying. These… awful sounds and I couldn't think o–or concentrate. Itachi, I had to get out of there!" she sobbed, her grip tightening. "Shizune–san… Kushina–san… They…"

Kushina had been called to go and help Mebuki. That was good. Shushing Sakura softly, Itachi placed his hand on her head, running his fingers through her hair and trying his best to keep her calm. It didn't surprise him that she wasn't handling the news very well – Kazashi was her father! Of course Sakura was going to be upset. They had been close for as long at Itachi could remember. Growing up, she had been known as a daddy's girl! Yes, Sakura grew out of that a little over the past two or three years, but she had still been close to her father.

"What are you planning on doing?" Itachi asked quietly as they made their way to the hospital. "You said that you had an argument with Gaara–kun?"

Itachi was pissed with Gaara. Sakura was grieving right now and he _argues_ with her? No. He should be in Itachi's place right at that moment in time. He should be the one comforting Sakura. But it wasn't fair of him jump to conclusions. For all he knew, Sakura could have blown things out of proportion. Everybody handled grief differently, after all.

"I think…" she trembled softly, her hold tightening. "I think we're on a break right now."

They had broken up?

The anger within him grew.

"What were you arguing about?"

So Sakura filled him in on everything. _Everything_. Starting right from the beginning and filling in all gaps she had left out previously. She told him about how Gaara didn't believe her – how none of them did. She told him about Matsuri and the nasty stuff she always said, how none of them believed the brunette would say such things. Sakura told him about their arguments, about how things had gotten better for a short while when he began taking more breaks from work, but today, it was like she had simply snapped. Enough was enough, she had told him, despite the fact she was crying.

And honestly? Itachi couldn't blame Sakura for having enough. Yes, he was aware of the fact he only knew one side of the story, but Itachi knew Sakura. She would not be so upset if it had been a misunderstanding or an argument. This had been going on for a while now and she had finally snapped under the pressure. His hold tightened as she cried harder. So now, not only was Sakura grieving, but she was also heartbroken.

"I just want my dad." she cried.

Itachi's heart ached for her.

Her father had always been the one to comfort her. If he heard she was feeling down, he would be straight up in her room, telling awful jokes and trying to make her laugh. If Sakura was ill, he would help out, taking turns with Mebuki to give her soup or medicine depending on how sick she was. That was why her trying to kill herself had hit her father so hard, why he had thrown himself into his work.

Was it her fault he was dead? If she hadn't been crazy, if she had been normal like everyone else, Kazashi would have never thrown himself into his work. He would still be at home, kissing her mother on the cheek when he returned from work, telling her how much he missed her.

She still couldn't believe he was dead.

It just all happened so suddenly! One moment Sakura had been about to get into her car and go to Tsunade's office (as it was the day she worked with the woman) and the next, Mebuki was on the phone, sobbing and crying about how Sakura had to get to the hospital immediately. That alone had been enough to tell her that something was wrong, that something bad had happened. It took a lot to get her mother to cry like that and Sakura did not like it in the least. The last time she heard Mebuki crying in such a way had been when Sakura tried to kill herself for the first time.

Shizune was stunned when they arrived at the hospital and angry with Sakura for being so reckless. However not even halfway through treating her, Shizune had started to blame herself. Apparently she had noticed the look in Sakura's eyes, but thought she would have gone straight home to Gaara.

"Itachi," Sakura's voice was hoarse as they got back into his car. There were butterfly stitches on her forehead, but thankfully she hadn't needed anything more than that. Like she had thought, head wounds bled more than others, "I need you to help me with something."

"What is it?"

"Come with me to the condo." she told him, swallowing hard before she continued. "Ao's still there and I need some clothes and things like that."

His eyes saddened. "Are you sure this is what you want, Sakura?"

"I'm so tired." came her whisper as she leaned back in her seat, her gaze fixed on the space in front of her. "And my mom needs me. She's never left me alone when I needed her, so I'm not going to leave her alone in this. She needs me." she took a deep, shaky breath. "This thing with Gaara… it can wait until later."

It was nice that she was putting her mother first, but Itachi wondered if Sakura was making the right decision. Mebuki would want time alone to grieve for the loss of her husband, to mourn. Also, if they simply left things as they were, the whole mess between Sakura and Gaara could become extremely messy. Or messier than it currently was. But it wasn't his place to say such things. Sakura was an adult now and these were her decisions. He simply hoped she was making the right choice.

"Very well."

* * *

They had been in the condo for half an hour, packing whatever Sakura would need before the front door swung open and slammed shut. It had been just as she was about to put Ao's harness on him that Gaara returned home an hour earlier than usual. He looked stressed and she couldn't be sure, but she could have sworn his eyes were red–rimmed.

"I've been looking for you." Gaara stated, his eyes refusing to look down to the bag by her feet. "When you didn't come here, I went to the hospital, but Shizune said you already left."

Silence.

Sakura had no idea what to say and her heart was in her throat when Gaara approached her, ignoring the fact that Itachi wasn't too far away from them.

"Don't go." he whispered, cupping her face gently as he pressed his forehead to hers, though was careful of her head wound. Gaara didn't care that Itachi was there. He just wanted Sakura to stay with him! "Don't go!"

Her bottom lip trembled as she saw the tears in Gaara's eyes, as she heard him begging her not to go. It was automatic how her hands lifted, how they gently caressed his arms, but when Sakura realised what she was doing, she stopped and instead grabbed hold of his hands, pulling them away from her face. "No." she whimpered, shutting her eyes so that she couldn't see him crying. She had only seen him cry once before and it still made her feel sick with pain and sadness. "Y–You still… you still don't believe me. We'll never stand a chance i–if you don't–"

Gaara cut her off by pressing his lips to hers, having no other idea how to make her stay. "Stay and we can talk about this!"

Instead of kissing him back, Sakura stepped away from him, sobbing as she did so. "We've already tried talking about it." she told him. "My mom needs me and until you're ready to… to hear me out, until y–you believe me…" Sakura shook her head, trembling as she moved over to Ao and put his harness on him. "We need to take a break."

"A break?"

Sakura bit her lip harshly and nodded.

"I don't want that!"

Her eyes snapped to his and despite still crying, she was growing angry. "And you think I do?" she demanded. "Leaving you is the last thing I want!"

"Then _don't go_!" Gaara yelled at her, ignoring how Ao barked and Itachi narrowed his eyes warningly. "If you don't want to leave me, then why are you going?"

Once the harness was securely on Ao, she stood up straight, though paused just as she had been about to leave. Handing the lead of the harness to Itachi, Sakura closed her eyes and took a deep breath before walking over to Gaara and even when she was right in front of him, she didn't look up. With shaking hands, she removed his mother's engagement ring from her finger and it felt as though it was killing her when she heard Gaara breathing shakily, when she saw his hands trembling.

"I love you," Sakura whispered to him as she grabbed his hand, trying her best to ignore how his trembling increased, "but I can't keep living like this. It's only been two months since you proposed, Gaara, and I feel like I can't…" her eyes closed as she leaned forward, her voice nothing more than a whisper as she pressed her forehead against his shoulder. "I can't keep going on like this. It's killing me. _It's killing me_. I… For the first time in a long time, I've been…"

"What, Sakura?" he asked quietly, not even bothering to hide his tears from Itachi. In fact, Gaara had forgotten the Uchiha was even there. All he could focus on was Sakura. "You've been, what?"

"I've been having suicidal thoughts." she told him quietly so that Itachi couldn't hear. "And every day that I'm stuck here, every day that passes I… They're getting worse. This fight between us… it's too much for me and I can't handle it. I feel like I'm suffocating!"

His arms quickly wrapped around her as he held her tightly. What had he done? "I'm sorry. Just… keep the ring." Gaara whispered in her ear. "If you feel like you need some space, then you can have it. Just please come back to me."

"B–But it's your mother's–"

"I have no one else to give it to, Sakura." he murmured as he pulled away and once again pressed his forehead to hers. "You're the only one that I love – that I have _ever_ loved. Nobody else deserves that ring! It's yours." Sakura felt her heart shattering as she felt his body shake with a silent sob. "Please come back to me."

Sakura nodded quickly before kissing him. "Goodbye, Gaara."

He didn't say goodbye. Goodbye meant she wouldn't be coming back and she had promised him, right? As he watched her leave, Gaara didn't miss how Itachi shot him a sympathetic look, how he seemed to genuinely feel for him. It didn't lessen his pain any. It didn't make that awful, _agonizing _pain in his chest go away. He hadn't felt such agony since Yashamaru told him all those things, called him a monster who had murdered his own mother.

The sound of the front door closing echoed torturously.

She was gone.

Sakura was gone.

Gaara fell to his knees numbly and held his head in his hands.

What was he supposed to do without her?

* * *

**A/N - I've noticed a pretty big drop in readers and reviewers lately. Not begging for them or anything, especially since these first few chapters are slowly opening up the story, just hoping you're all okay!**

**Drama, drama, drama!**

**There's a reason why Sakura has suddenly snapped, by the way. If you haven't noticed already, you'll find out in like ten-twelve chapters!**

**Poor Gaara. Seems rather OOC right now, but remember, this is his first relationship _and_ first friendship. It was Sakura who taught him how to be more open, how to trust and how to love. He's lost without her.**

**HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


	9. Hello, My Old Friend

**Chapter 9 – Hello, My Old Friend**

She cooked. She cleaned. She went to college. To work. She took care of her mother.

Lately, Mebuki couldn't do much other than sit there and stare or cry, so all the work fell onto Sakura's shoulders. She didn't mind. After everything her parents had done for her, Sakura silently promised her father that she would look after her mother for him. To keep her company from failing, Itachi was supporting it more fully. It was thanks to him that Mebuki even had the company in the first place, as he had sponsored her and been there one hundred percent, just like she had been there for him when he needed the help.

It was horrible being back in that house, but Sakura forced herself to stay quiet about her feelings. The last thing Mebuki needed right now was to feel guilty or worried about her. But the guilt that Sakura felt, that awful, _disgusting_ feeling that would wash over her every chance it got, was agonizing. Sleep was a luxury to her, but one she did not get. Since she had moved most of her things from her bedroom to the condo she shared with Gaara, Sakura had to sleep in one of the guest rooms. That was fine by her.

Yakushi Kabuto had not defiled those rooms with his vile existence.

Taking care of her mother was extremely difficult. She barely spoke – rarely did anything other than simply lay in her room and cry, or sit in the living room and stare blankly around her.

Many had been coming by with condolences, offering them dishes filled with food and whatnot. Why do they want food? Sakura was perfectly capable of keeping herself and her mother healthy and fed. Didn't they think she could take care of them both? She knew she could. And she was going to. Her mother needed her and damn it, she was going to be there.

Ao stayed by Mebuki's side, following Sakura's orders of looking after the older woman. Sometimes however he stayed with her, picking up on the changes in his owner. Ao did not like them. There were moments when he would give her a disapproving stare, like he knew exactly what she was up to. It was ridiculous! Dogs couldn't give you looks like those. They couldn't judge you!

But what if they could?

She shook those thoughts from her head and got out of her car, locking it after her as she made her way to the door. Just as Sakura was about to open it, however, something white caught her attention. An envelope? Her eyes narrowed dangerously. Was somebody really that retarded that they didn't see she had a perfectly good letterbox? Idiots! With a swipe of her hand, Sakura picked it up, adding it to her pile of books and folders from college. It had only her name on the front, but it wasn't writing she recognised.

Once inside and the door was shut, Sakura made her way straight to the dining room and dumped her belongings on the table, stretching her muscles and arching her back, enjoying the popping, cracking sound. And as soon as he heard her, Ao came running down the stairs, almost knocking her off her feet when he spotted her. It was their usual greeting. He would knock her on her ass, attack her face with slobbery licks and unnecessary enthusiasm. It was nice that Ao was so excited to see her, though. It made a nice change.

Since returning to her childhood home, she and Gaara spoke very little. There was a phone call every two days where he was checking up on her, making sure she was okay, but those were only short. It hurt too much hearing his voice. They talked over text a few times, but again, it was different. Conversation was strained even through text! And Sakura felt like it was _her_ fault – it was! She hadn't meant to hurt him.

The engagement ring had not left her finger since he handed it back to her. Sakura simply couldn't bring herself to remove it.

She loved him. With all her heart. But there had to be, _needed to be_ more than love to make a relationship work. There had to be trust – on both ends – and there had to be faith. They needed to believe in each other. Gaara didn't believe her. She didn't trust him. Where the hell was their relationship going to go? It angered her that, if Matsuri hadn't come along, Sakura knew for a fact that she wouldn't be so jealous all the time. The brunette was obsessed with Gaara and knew exactly how to get under Sakura's skin. She knew exactly what to say to hurt her. It was ridiculous, but Matsuri's words killed her on the inside.

Wasn't she enough for Gaara?

Did he think she was too used and wanted a more innocent woman?

Was he just as disgusted with her as she was with herself?

Those questions kept Sakura up at night. Her skin was much paler than usual and there were dark circles around her eyes, telling everyone about her lack of sleep. It screamed that she couldn't sleep right in their faces! Nobody commented on it.

Grabbing the white envelope once again, Sakura impatiently opened it and all but tore the letter out of the envelope, but gagged in disgust that, when she had opened the letter, white flakes began to fall. What the fuck? Great. And now they were all over the dining table! Not that they ate at the table, but it was still disgusting! Narrowing her eyes, Sakura glared at the white flakes (she refused to think of them as dead skin, for she seriously would throw up) before turning back to her letter.

Her eyes widened.

'_I'm just getting started.'_

What?

With shaking hands, Sakura reread the letter, reread those four words.

And then it was like a bolt of lightning struck her.

"Mom."

She dropped the letter onto the table and darted up the stairs, taking two at a time with Ao right behind her. He was barking at her, wanting to know what was happening or if they were suddenly playing a game. It seemed he picked up on her mood for he became serious, running by her side instead of behind her and the second Sakura barged into her mother's bedroom, he shot straight in there, jumping on the bed and licking Mebuki's face.

The woman groaned with annoyance and sleepily tried to bat him away.

The relief Sakura felt was so great that she could have cried. Her knees actually weakened.

"Sakura? Is something wrong?"

At her mother's tired mumble, Sakura smiled and shook her head, forcing back her tears. "I just came to check on you, see if you wanted anything."

Mebuki shook her head before dropping it back against the pillow. "I'm fine, thank you."

Even though her mother was no longer looking at her, Sakura nodded. "Come on, Ao. Let's take you for a walk!"

Ao was off the bed and running through the house within a second, skidding across the landing just before he was dashing down the stairs, going straight to the door where he waited almost patiently. With one last glance at her mother, Sakura shut the door as quietly as possible and followed after Ao, but before she left the house, she grabbed her phone, unlocking it swiftly and going through her contacts.

Nowadays, around this area, Sakura didn't have to put Ao on his harness. He obeyed her without hesitation and stayed by her side if she called for him and if Ao ran off, he still stuck close by. So as Sakura wandered after him, following Ao as he ran to this area and that, sniffing it out, she called somebody she needed right now. Only, when she tried to call, he didn't answer. So Sakura called the next person.

"_Sakura?_"

"Hey, Sasuke. I–Is Shisui there, by any chance?"

There was a pause. "_Why didn't you just call his phone_?"

"Don't start, Sasuke. I'm having a shitty day and I really need him right now. His phone's off."

"_What's up_?" this voice was different, deeper, making Sakura sigh in relief.

"Shisui, somebody was here. At my mom's house. They left me a letter with this disgusting dead skin all inside the envelope and the letter."

Just like with Sasuke, Shisui was silent for a moment. "_And what do you want me to do about that_?"

He hadn't meant it in a nasty way, she could hear the confusion in his tone. "The letter said '_I'm just getting started_', Shisui! I'm freaking the hell out over here–"

Ao suddenly began barking, his hackles raised.

"Please, just get over here."

"_Try to stay calm, Sakura. I'm over at Itachi and Sasuke's right now, so I'll be a couple of minutes. Do you want me to stay on the phone with you_?"

"Yeah." swallowing hard as vicious and unrelenting memories attacked her, Sakura took an uncertain step forward and closer to Ao, who had ceased barking but was growling as though in warning. "Ao–"

He whirled around and slammed his head into her, beating the breath out of her as well as knocking her back a few feet. Sakura's eyes were wide as he continued to headbutt her, to knock her backwards until she fell to the ground with a shriek. Ao was above her in an instant, but his back was to her and he looked like he was about to pounce on something, making Sakura's blood run cold. She couldn't hear Shisui calling her name into the phone, she couldn't feel the gravel of the drive digging into her skin.

Not even ten feet away from her, was a huge, white snake.

It was hissing at her and Ao, lifting its head into the air and glaring at them.

Now she could understand why Ao had been so determined on pushing her backwards, even if it meant hurting her.

Her body was shaking, her breathing coming out in quick, uneven pants. When Ao's left back paw slowly slid back, Sakura forced herself to move in time with him, shuffling backwards slowly and carefully, trying her best not to capture the snake's attention.

Too late.

It lunged towards Ao's throat, making her cry out in fear as she shot towards him, but just as she was certain it was about to sink its teeth into her beloved dog, a pale hand quickly grabbed it, restricting its movements as another hand grabbed the body. Following those hands, Sakura's wide, fear–filled eyes connected with Sasuke's. He seemed angry. No, he was livid. She could tell by the tremble in his hands.

Arms wrapped around her waist, effortlessly lifting Sakura off the ground and she knew just by the scent who had picked her up, so she clung to him desperately, afraid to let go. If Itachi minded being held so tightly, he didn't say a word and instead guided her back to the house, whilst Shisui gave Ao a pat on the head, telling him that he was a good boy. Picking up Sakura's phone, he watched out of the corner of his eye as Sasuke crossed the roads and threw the snake back into the woods.

Where it belonged.

* * *

"It's him." Sakura muttered, holding the cup of tea tightly between her hands. "It's him. I know it is. He's coming after me again."

Shisui sat down beside Sakura on the sofa. "That's not going to happen, Sakura. You have my word. Yakushi Kabuto is still locked away, along with Zaku, Juugo, Suigetsu and Dosu. Karin is the only one who escaped."

A shaky sigh tore through her and she gave him a hopeless look. "Then who sent the letter, Shisui? It was hand delivered. Somebody was here. Somebody was here whilst my mom was upstairs, sleeping in her bed." a tear slipped down her cheek and a quivering sob left her before she could stop it. "I can't lose her, too."

He nodded, taking the cup out of Sakura's shaking hands and placing it on the table and once her hands were free, he pulled her against him, holding her as she cried. "Nothing is going to happen to her, Sakura. Your mother is tough and I pity the fool who even dares attempt an attack on her."

She laughed quietly. "R–Remember that time… my mom chased you and Naruto around with a rolling pin?" Shisui joined in with her laughter. "I think Itachi's the only one who's never been on her bad side."

"Call it strategic thinking – choosing my battles wisely." Itachi murmured as he entered the room and sat on her other side, giving her a small smirk when she looked up at him with her own. "I knew better than to anger your mother whilst growing up. It was the same with my own."

"Uchiha Itachi," she chuckled, "actually fears something."

There were actually several things Itachi feared. First had to be the overwhelming feeling that would wash over him at just the thought of losing Sasuke, Sakura or Shisui. Hell, even Naruto! That applied to Sakura's parents, too. They had helped him through so much and it was because of them that Itachi had been able to become the man he was today.

Placing a hand on Sakura's back, he smiled down at her. No words were needed and at his silent order, she shuffled forward, allowing Shisui to get up and examine the letter Sakura had received as well as the dead skin. Her stomach lurched. Whoever the fuck had sent that was sick in the head! Dead skin? Creeps. Forcing down her unease and closing her eyes, she rested her head on Itachi's lap, sighing when he readjusted his hold so that they would both be more comfortable.

* * *

"You know who sent this letter."

Looking up at his cousin, Sasuke nodded once. "Yes. The snake gave away the identity of the person who sent it."

Shisui sighed. Just by that faint tremble in Sasuke's hands, he could tell where this was going. It made him so angry. Not with Sasuke, but with the man who was doing this. How long had he been in hiding for, now? It would have to be well over a year. No matter how hard they tried, Shisui and his team just could not find him.

"This is a warning." it had meant to be a question, but with the expression on Sasuke's face, Shisui's sentence had been changed to a statement.

"No." he replied and his voice sounded much harsher, deeper, with his anger. "Like the letter says, he's only just getting started. You think this is the worst he can do? Send a snake to her house as well as a letter filled with dead skin?" the dead skin actually belonged to a snake, but had been broken up into tiny pieces so that it appeared human. Sasuke knew that because of the pattern on the skin, though did not touch it because it was evidence. After the attack last year, he had been doing research and only pushed himself harder when he received yet another invitation from that vile bastard. "Orochimaru isn't even trying to scare her right now."

"You're wrong, Sasuke." Shisui murmured, glancing around the dining room and lowering his voice considerably just in case somebody heard them. "This stays between us, do you understand?" Sasuke nodded, his eyes narrowing. "They are going to release Kazashi–san's body this week, saying it was a heart attack that killed him. But what if it wasn't? There are many things to cause heart attack symptoms."

His eyes narrowed even further. "Wouldn't an autopsy pick up on that?"

The older Uchiha sighed and shook his head. "You'd be surprised how much they miss when they believe it wasn't a suspicious death." shoving his hand in his pocket, he pulled out his phone. "Get me a container so I can take this down to the station. I doubt Mebuki–san will want police officers barging into her home right now and I don't want to alarm Sakura." at Sasuke's unsure look, Shisui sighed. "Just take a look at her, Sasuke. Sakura is barely keeping it together and looks as though she hasn't slept in days – she's only been back here for three days! She won't be able to handle this. If Sakura finds out that it was possible for _Orochimaru_, of all people, to be here, can you imagine how much that would frighten her?"

Eventually, after taking deep breaths to calm his anger, Sasuke nodded. "Right. And what happens now? We just leave Sakura and Mebuki here, alone?"

"Not at all. I will be checking in on them every day, as will Itachi. You can, too, if you want. Just don't let her suspect anything."

Sasuke shook his head with disbelief. "Sakura isn't an idiot. She'll have this figured out by the end of the week."

"As harsh as this sounds, Sakura's head is not in the right place at the moment. The sadness of losing her father, the stress of taking care of her mother, the pain of breaking up with Gaara–kun, will be weighing heavily on her mind."

"They haven't broken up." Sasuke muttered, glaring down at the ground.

"No, but they are taking a break from their relationship for an unknown period of time."

"…And it still hurts her." he closed his eyes and sighed. "I'll get you that container."

* * *

After making sure that nobody else was in the room (Shisui and Sasuke had gone to the station and Itachi was preparing dinner), Sakura quickly went behind the bar and grabbed the bottle of vodka that had been calling to her for the past hour. God she _needed_ a drink! Unscrewing the lid on her empty water bottle, she aligned the two bottles and poured the contents from the glass bottle, into the plastic one. Since moving out, her parents had started stocking the home–bar once again and whilst it was wrong of her to be taking advantage of her mother's grief, the woman was in no state to notice something as small as this.

Besides, she didn't need her medication anymore, so she was okay to have a drink! Just in case somebody threw a bitch fit, however, Sakura decided it was best to pretend as though it was simply water in her bottle.

Leaving a small amount in the bottle (and making a mental note to replace it), Sakura put it back in its original place and made sure the lid on her own bottle was secure.

A bright smile graced her lips as she moved away from the bar and headed in the direction of the stairs. Finally! After everything that had happened, Sakura believed that she deserved this drink. Of course she wouldn't drink it all, because then they would catch on that she had started drinking once again (and also, downing pure vodka was rather stupid). No, she would just take a couple of sips every now and then to keep her going. And now, she didn't have to worry about getting sick again like the last time! No more medication.

It took everything in Sakura to hold back her sudden need to giggle.

"Sakura?" a voice called from the kitchen.

She froze. "…Yeah?"

"Will your mother be joining us for dinner, or should I put some to the side for her?"

Oh thank God for that. Itachi had always had some sort of creepy sixth sense and for a moment there, Sakura had been certain he had caught on already. "Uh… I'll ask her now, I need to go upstairs and get changed anyway."

"Dinner will be ready in thirty–five minutes." he told her after a moment.

"Okay!"

* * *

**A/N – I decided to give you all another chapter for Halloween! :-D**

**Does this remind anyone of anything? Something that happened in _They Never Knew_? Not with Orochimaru and the snake and the letter, but the last little bit of the chapter.**

**Have any of you noticed how everyone's pretty much forgotten about Kankuro in the anime and manga? Nobody has seen him or spoken about him since the beginning of the war! Hahahaha. Poor Kankuro!**

**Ew, I bought some cans of pepsi earlier today and I didn't taste much of the first one because I was downing it whilst eating, but then the taste caught up to me and I was like "um...". Went onto another can and EW EW EW! It was completely flat and had this horrible tangy taste to it that made me feel really sick.**

**What do you all think? Do you think Orochimaru sent the letter? Does he have some sort of plan?**

**I feel like the narrator guy off of DBZ. Um...**

**HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


	10. When Did I Lose Your Trust?

**Chapter 10 – When Did I Lose Your Trust?**

Stress.

Stress.

_Stress._

What the hell was he supposed to do with all this paperwork? It just kept piling up until he could barely even see in front of him.

This was just beyond ridiculous.

Glancing down at his phone for the seventh time in the past ten minutes, Gaara growled.

It was so unlike him to show how aggravated he truly was, to show any emotions at all, but for the past week or so, he had been having difficulty controlling his emotions. Also, his phone was pretty much glued to his hand now whereas previously, it was simply shoved into his pocket and more or less ignored.

After discovering Sakura had left him, his siblings had been sticking close by him, trying to pick him up out of his bad mood, but very little helped. In fact nothing helped and Gaara was instead growing angry and frustrated with his siblings. Hell, even though he knew he shouldn't, part of him blamed Temari for this mess. Why did she have to go and defend Matsuri _in front of_ Sakura? That went for Shikamaru, too. Clearly Sakura was not thinking clearly (which only made his worry increase) and noticing this, they should have spoken calmly, they should have discussed things patiently with her to make her see sense. Getting angry and saying she was making everything up was not going to help!

Then, his mind went to Sakura. His worry for her was almost suffocating, to the point where Gaara could barely even sleep at night! Was she eating? Was she sleeping? Part of him was demanding that he go and find out for himself, that he check up on her and make sure she was taking care of herself. But he knew he couldn't. Sakura had told him she needed space and he didn't want to make those suicidal thoughts even worse by crowding her.

Which was why he had contacted none other than Uchiha Itachi.

It had been an uncomfortable conversation to say the least and Gaara was aware of the fact that Itachi was angry with him. However, after getting his side of the story told, the Uchiha had sighed, seeming stressed. That meant that Gaara was not the only one to pick up on the fact Sakura could quite possibly be entering one of her bigger, more serious, episodes. And right now neither she nor Mebuki needed that kind of stress, so Itachi had promised the redhead that he would look out for Sakura and he assured the younger man that she was in fact eating. Maybe not sleeping well, but she was definitely eating. He made sure of that.

God, Gaara was so grateful to have Itachi there! Did that sound strange? The Uchiha was like Sakura's older brother and had always protected her. If he even sensed that she might need him, Itachi was there within a heartbeat. Apparently it had always been that way. And even though he was a little uncomfortable with the thought and idea, Sasuke had also messaged him one day, giving him an update on how Sakura was doing.

There were no snarky words, no "_Haha, fuck you. She's mine again_". Sasuke had simply sent him a text message saying he managed to get Sakura to leave the house for a short while to take Ao to the park and after returning, he had made sure she had something to eat as well as Mebuki.

It made Gaara angry, although only a small part of him. It shouldn't be Sasuke there, it should be him! Sasuke shouldn't be the one looking after her. He shouldn't be the one going with her to take Ao for walks in the park. He shouldn't be the one cooking for her and Mebuki. He shouldn't be the one _taking care of her_! Taking a deep breath, Gaara tried to calm himself. Even though he wanted nothing more than to be the one looking after her, he was grateful Sasuke was there. In a minute way, he understood Sakura. And Gaara trusted _his_ fiancée.

Matsuri was… overwhelming. More so than usual. It was why he had cut her hours once more. Instead of forty five minutes, she had an hour and a half for lunch as well as two thirty minute breaks – one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Matsuri also finished half an hour before himself and started an hour after he did. Really, Gaara didn't even see the point in keeping her around. But just as he prepared himself to fire her, he remembered how difficult it had been to find a secretary in the first place until Temari had shrugged and told him Matsuri was adequate at her job.

And she was! Don't get him wrong, because Matsuri was a good secretary. She wrote down all messages, she made sure he had at least two breaks during the day, she also brought him up some food (although he never ate it, considering how sick Sakura had been after eating the cake she had made)! But… Gaara simply wished Sakura would trust him more. Had he done something to suddenly lose her trust?

Thinking back, he could not think of a single time or place where he could have lost her trust.

In a rare show of indecision, Gaara narrowed his eyes, his fingers tapping a rhythm against the keyboard of his laptop before he was typing into the search engine.

_Symptoms of bipolar disorder_.

It was so wrong that he could not remember the exact type she was, as there seemed to be several. Sighing, he clicked on the most reliable looking website, his eyes scanning the contents intently.

'_During a period of depression, your symptoms may include: feeling sad and hopeless. Lacking energy. Difficulty concentrating and remembering things. Loss of interest in everyday activities. Feelings of emptiness or worthlessness. Feelings of guilt and despair. Feeling pessimistic about everything. Self–doubt. Being delusional, having hallucinations and disturbed or illogical thinking. Lack of appetite. Difficulty sleeping. Waking up early. Suicidal thoughts_.'

He paused.

Sakura was showing many of those symptoms. He could remember entering the condo several times and seeing her looking lost and confused, almost as though she was brooding or simply lost in her thoughts. Lack of appetite, also. Up until she left, Gaara could recall her appetite dwindling until next to nothing, but Sakura had told him it was because of coursework, because she was too focused on it and trying to have everything completed and on time for their deadlines. Difficulty sleeping, was another – or was that waking up early?

Delusional or having hallucinations.

On the night Shisui had come to inform them that Uzumaki Karin had escaped, Sakura had panicked. He had heard her screaming in the shower, screams that had haunted him for many nights afterwards. She had sounded so terrified that it made his insides feel like ice. After calming down, Sakura had opened up to him, had whispered to him that Kabuto had been there. It took him so long to make her believe different.

That was only the depressive side of bipolar disorder, however. Gaara could recall Sakura telling him one time that she leaned more on the mania side.

'_The manic phase of bipolar disorder may include: feeling very happy, elated or overjoyed. Talking very quickly. Feeling full of energy. Feeling self–important. Feeling full of great new ideas and having important plans. Being easily distracted. Being easily irritated or agitated. Being delusional, having hallucinations and disturbed or illogical thinking. Not feeling like sleeping. Not eating. Doing things that often have disastrous consequences, such as spending large sums of money on expensive and sometimes unaffordable items. Making decisions or saying things that are out of character and that others see as being risky or harmful. Increased sex drive._'

Well now he felt more than a little unsure, although he was certain that Sakura was showing signs of mania more than depressive.

For starters, he had noticed that she was (once again) spending more money than she should be. Gaara had more money than he needed and could afford to give her anything she wanted or needed, so he hadn't thought much when he glanced at the bill of his credit card. Now that he was thinking about it, Gaara realised Ao hadn't really needed that designer harness. In fact he had chewed right through it to show Sakura how much he despised it. The same went for the other three she had purchased, saying he would like having different colours to choose from.

When had he started paying less attention to her? Yes, Gaara spoiled her by giving her everything she wanted but that wasn't what love was supposed to be about.

Once again reading through the passage, his eyes narrowed.

Increased sex drive. Now, Sakura had always had a high sex drive (to the point where he once or twice had found it hard to keep up with her), so it wasn't surprising that _that_ one hadn't stood out to him. What should have stood out to him, however, was the fact that she had purposely stopped the elevator in their building using the emergency stop button and practically cornered him, begging him to give her release, an orgasm. Never one to deny her anything, Gaara had done just that. He had done as she asked, pinned her against the wall, ignoring every little part of him screaming that it wasn't a good idea, and fucked her until she came.

Oh God. When had he started paying less attention to her?

Their relationship had always been so clear for them. You give as much as you take. Never any more and never any less. When had that changed?

Was that the reason behind his losing her trust in him?

Closing the page as he heard a knock on the door, Gaara sighed and sat back in his seat, willing the horrified look on his features to go away. It took a couple of minutes but eventually his blank mask came back, his perfect pokerface. He didn't need to look at the page any longer, for the rest was about triggers and causes. Gaara already knew the cause – or the trigger. It had been set off, triggered, by the breakdown of her relationship with Uzumaki Naruto (her best friend and former, one–time lover), but soon escalated dramatically when Yakushi Kabuto raped her.

"Enter." It was Sasuke, making Gaara sit up straighter and a look of shock very faintly entering his features. "Uchiha, what are you doing here?"

Turning around, Sasuke paused in shutting the door and the redhead could literally feel the glare he was giving to somebody outside. No doubt it was Matsuri. "Stay out." he ordered, his voice deep and harsh. "This doesn't concern _you_."

And before she could argue back, before Gaara could even ask who the hell Sasuke thought he was to order around _his_ employees, the Uchiha was firmly shutting the door and facing him once again. He stayed standing.

"I'll keep this brief." he muttered, though walked forward and closer to the desk. "Sakura doesn't know yet, but they're no longer releasing her father's body. It's undergoing a second autopsy."

Gaara's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"Orochimaru contacted Sakura."

"What?"

Noticing the rage on Gaara's face, the fact that he was now standing, Sasuke also narrowed his eyes. "You can't do anything to stop him and Sakura doesn't know that it was Orochimaru who contacted her – if you bring it up, you'll only scare her. Shisui told me to keep quiet about it, but…" he grimaced, seeming uncomfortable. "I thought it best that you know."

He forced himself to calm down. "And why is that?"

There was no mistaking the bitterness in Gaara's voice, the harshness, that told Sasuke just what he was thinking. He disliked not being able to take care of her. "It's a disgusting feeling, isn't it?" Sasuke muttered after a few minutes, his eyes fixating on the desk. "Not being able to be the one to take care of her, knowing that no matter how hard you try, in the end, you only end up pushing her further and further away."

Gaara's jaw clenched. "Get to the point, Uchiha."

"I'm not going to try anything." he scowled, finally looking back up. "I believe I don't have to explain myself to you – in fact, I know I don't. However, after the attack, I… I don't know. Stopped pitying myself, I guess. For once I put somebody before myself. Sakura loves you. You may not be together right now, but she still loves you. She hasn't taken the ring off her finger once."

It took everything in Gaara not to snarl. "I thought you would be thrilled."

"Why would I be thrilled that Sakura's hurting?" Sasuke spat, his anger spiking and clashing with Gaara's. This was partly the reason why he chose to stay away from the redhead – they were too alike. "You think I want to be here, telling you all these things? No. I'm doing this so that you don't fuck up and end up hurting her even worse than I did! Sakura is stressed enough as it is. And if this break up – or whatever the hell it is – is only temporary, then I'd hate to see what a permanent break up would do to her."

Destroy her. It would destroy her. Just like it would destroy him. Sakura was the reason behind his change. Gaara had wanted so desperately to become a better person for her and she had helped him with that. Whenever he needed support, even if she herself was hurting, Sakura was there for him to lean on and vice versa. You give as much as you take. That was always and would always be how their relationship worked.

"Kazashi's body." Gaara murmured, trying to ignore the ache in his chest at not only the fear of losing Sakura, but also the loss of her father. Was it strange for him to say that in the past year or so, Kazashi had been more of a father to Gaara than his own had been in his entire life? "Is his death being connected to Orochimaru contacting Sakura?"

"Yes." Sasuke had also calmed down. "Orochimaru sent her a hand–delivered letter, telling her that he's just getting started. Not only that but when Shisui, Itachi and I arrived, Ao was about to be attacked by a venomous snake – and I know it is one of Orochimaru's. He has a thing for experimenting on white snakes." No surprise there. The guy was a creep. At the narrowing of Gaara's eyes, the suspicion in them, Sasuke's also narrowed. "After the attack, I did my research on Orochimaru. Don't even try to say that you thought it was over when Kabuto and the others were arrested. I could see that look in your eyes whenever you looked at Sakura. You feared for her. Just like I do. Like Itachi does."

It surprised Sasuke greatly when Gaara fell back into his seat, all anger, all confidence and his emotionless mask slipping away as the redhead put his elbows on his desk and his head in his hands. No, there was still anger there, and it was barely restrained. Gaara was trying to calm himself, trying to keep his anger from being unleashed. His hands trembled and feeling the anger rising around them, Sasuke took a deep breath, forcing himself to remain calm. His disorder was always set off by negative emotions and recently, he had been surrounded by, _drowning in_, negative emotions.

"How is she?" Sasuke was thrown off by Gaara's question and when there was no answer ten seconds later, the redhead growled, lifting his head to open his eyes and glare at him. "Sakura. When you last saw her, how did she look?"

An uncomfortable feeling filled the air and the Uchiha's body was tensed. "Bad."

"In what way?"

"Like she isn't sleeping. The way she holds herself…" Sasuke's eyes narrowed as his sentence drifted off, trying to think of the right word to use. There wasn't one. "The last time I saw her this down, Sakura turned to alcohol."

Gaara sat up straighter, giving Sasuke a serious look. "Don't let–"

He cut the redhead off with a scoff. "Don't let her drink. Yeah, I know. But just remember that whilst you know her now, I knew her back then. I know these signs. I know _her_. Sakura's slowly slipping back into her old lifestyle. The one where she was getting drunk every chance she got, the one where she pushed her bad memories or thoughts out in any way she could." the clenching of Gaara's jaw made it obvious that he knew exactly how those memories or thoughts had been shoved away. And it had taken him so long to show Sakura that she didn't have to use sex as a way to forget. "Not even Itachi knows that Sakura, which means he doesn't know what signs he's supposed to be looking out for."

There was a pause a second before a sigh. "What do you want me to say, Uchiha? Do you want me to beg for you to take care of her, to make sure she doesn't go back to her old ways?"

In response, he scoffed. "No. I simply wanted to see that look on your face – that one." Sasuke gave a sly smirk. "Now you know how I felt back in high school, when I could do nothing more than watch as she fell in love with you."

Vengeful bastard. Sakura had once told him about the vengeful streak in Sasuke, about how he had beaten the crap out of someone and said it was revenge. For what, neither of them knew. She told him that back then Sasuke had been difficult to figure out – still was, in all honesty. All Uchiha seemed to possess the same unpredictable streak. Even Shisui. "We have more important things to worry about than the fact you're still not over Sakura." at the sudden, vicious glare being sent his way, Gaara gave him the same smirk he had received only seconds ago. "It's not an enjoyable feeling being taunted, is it?"

"Shut up." Sasuke snarled, fists clenching tightly by his sides. "I didn't have to come here and tell you these things – remember that."

Gaara regarded him silently, watching the emotions on his face. Anger almost dominated completely, but there was that flash in his eyes. A flash of pain.

Of course Gaara knew that Sasuke wasn't over Sakura. How could he not? It was the way Sasuke held himself around her, how he looked at her. It was sickening but at the same time, he couldn't blame the Uchiha. She was certainly something. Definitely one hell of a girl. It had taken Uzumaki Naruto _years_ to finally get over her and now he was in his first relationship since that night with Sakura. That was one night. That was the only time she had ever shown there was a chance of returning his feelings. Sakura and Sasuke had been together, in a way, for over a year and that wasn't including the times when she returned to school. They had loved each other.

His jaw clenched.

That one time… Gaara took a deep breath. He had forgiven Sakura for sleeping with Sasuke that final time, but he certainly hadn't forgotten it. It was easy to ignore, that little nagging reminder in the back of his mind. Whenever he saw them together, whenever he saw Sasuke looking down at her with those eyes, however, that reminder would come springing back. Gaara didn't like being possessive of Sakura. He didn't like it when he got jealous, because it often made him act without thinking. No, he would never, _never_ hurt her. But he could hurt Sasuke.

Oh the Uchiha really had no idea how close Gaara had come to tracking him down and beating the shit out of him. Way too many times. It had happened over a year ago, but that pain was still there. The reminder of how uncertain he had felt back then, how close he could have come to losing her, was still there.

It couldn't happen again. Gaara refused to lose Sakura.

"Don't touch her."

Sasuke narrowed his eyes dangerously. "What?"

"I said," Gaara stood up slowly, his icy blue eyes glaring at the dark haired man viciously, "_don't touch her_."

Instead of reacting in a burst of anger, no matter how badly he wanted to, Sasuke stared him down with his own cold glare. "I won't, but not because you've told me not to. It's because of Sakura's loyalty. I'm not going to make her break that because it will destroy her if she betrays you." Sasuke took a half step back, so that he could look at the door to the office. "Oh, and one word of advice," his eyes snapped back to Gaara's and it honestly surprised the redhead to see so much hatred and anger in those dark eyes, "if you hurt her, I _will_ be coming after you."

Gaara straightened, his body tensed. There was no mistaking the words that were hidden in that warning.

_Don't hurt her by fucking around with your secretary_.

A sly smirk pulled at his lips. He couldn't let Uchiha think he had the upper hand now, could he? "You know yourself that no one will ever compare to Sakura."

The sound of teeth gritting and fists clenching even tighter reached his ears and without saying a single word, Sasuke stormed out of the office, slamming the door shut after him and terrifying the crap out of Matsuri, who only grew more scared at the petrifying glare sent her way.

"Stay the fuck out of their relationship."

And with that, he was gone.

* * *

It was so dull.

Realising that he was once again pining, he turned in his cot, sighing loudly.

All he really had to get him through the day were his own thoughts and memories. The others called him a recluse, for he'd rather stay in his… _room_ than go out there and face them all. Animals. That was what they were. Why the hell would he go out there and socialise with them all? He was so much better than them. They were nothing more than criminals, whereas with him, it had been a huge misunderstanding.

"Shit."

At the feeling of his leg cramping, he tensed, taking deep breaths and keeping still, trying to breathe through the pain.

It had been over a year and he was still suffering from that attack. What in the world had possessed his dear Sakura to keep such a violent, unpredictable beast by her side? He had tried so hard to make her see that that beast was not to be trusted, that it was dangerous. Did she listen? No. Sakura had actually yelled and screamed angrily when she was told about it. Well, that was what he had been told by his lawyer, anyway. And in the end that dog – if it could even be called that – was allowed to stay. It should have been put down! What if it suddenly turned on his Sakura? She wouldn't be able to fight such a beast off.

The pain in his leg soon subsided, leaving him to sigh in relief and relax, turning onto his back once more and staring up at the same old, boring ceiling. Luckily for him, he did not have a room–mate. Well it was lucky for the other person really. Spending so much time in your _room_ with nothing other than your own thoughts to entertain you did strange things to a person's mind.

He kept picturing that night. Both of them, actually. Perhaps he should have approached Sakura a different way? He closed his eyes and sighed. It probably wouldn't have mattered how he approached her. The first time, Sakura had had Uchiha Sasuke as her lover – even though, in his eyes, she deserved so much better than that child – and the second time, she had Sabaku Gaara. Gaara was… more suitable for her, he'd give him that.

Now that he had been left alone to think things over, he realised many different things. The first being that the redhead seemed to truly care for Sakura. Enough so that he had jumped in front of her and protected her from being shot. Kabuto once again sighed and pressed a hand to his temple. Why had he done that again? Why had he tried to kill his Sakura? He couldn't even remember.

Anyway. That wasn't what he was thinking about – it could be left for another day, one where he was prepared better to think it through properly. For the time being, Kabuto supposed Sakura could remain with Gaara. At least he knew she would be protected by him. However, the second he was proven to be innocent, that it had been one huge misunderstanding, he would ask politely for her to return to him. Then they could start again.

He would admit that he had been a little… unnecessarily violent towards her, but how else was he supposed to make her listen? Sakura just would not listen to him and sometimes, _sometimes_, she just had to be roughed up a little. You had to make her submit. She had to understand that he was in control, not her.

Oh but things should not have gone this far. He had never planned for her to turn against him in such a way. Kabuto had thought that, some time before the trial, Sakura would come to her senses, would realise that she loved him. But no. His dear Sakura was just too stubborn to see what was right in front of her. After all, if she didn't love him, she would not have come to see him, would she?

That day was burned into his mind. Sakura had come to see him. It had been her choice. That was what solidified the fact that she loved him, in Kabuto's mind. Did she visit Zaku? No. And Kabuto made a point to flaunt that in front of the younger male's face whenever he saw him.

Now that he thought about it, he hadn't seen Zaku in a while.

With little to no effort, Kabuto pulled himself out of his cot and stretched. Since there was nothing better to do, he had taken to training himself in his cell every morning when he first woke up and every night before he went to bed. That way the muscles in his leg didn't get too stiff and he wouldn't be at too much of a disadvantage should one of the inmates attack him. Again, they were nothing but animals. It was fine for Suigetsu and Juugo, because they stuck together and nobody dared to approach Juugo, meaning Suigetsu was untouchable, too. Zaku and Dosu also stuck together, although that wasn't too much of a problem for the other men. However, there was a silent pact between the five of them.

They never spoke of why they were truly here. To do so would practically be committing suicide. Over the past year, Kabuto had seen many men who were classed as rapists or paedophiles beaten and murdered. No, he did not think of himself as a rapist, but that was what he had been charged with (Suigetsu and Zaku had been, too). They wouldn't listen if he told them that it was a misunderstanding, that his woman had been angry with him at the time.

A smile pulled at his lips. That was right! His dear Sakura was a woman now.

And that longing feeling entered him once more.

It just wasn't fair. He wanted to be with her again, to hold her in his arms.

Not for the first time, Kabuto sighed and made his way over to the door. His cell was different from others. Since he was classed as a highly dangerous inmate (ridiculous, if you asked him), he was given an actual room with a door that could be locked and bolted. The others, such as Juugo, Suigetsu and Dosu, all had cells. The types with bars. Zaku also had a room like Kabuto's. Again, ridiculous. Zaku was pathetically–

Just as he was about to step out of his cell, a fist connected with his face, knocking him out of his thoughts and sending him flying to the ground. Two men entered the cell.

"Morning, bitch." a tall, silver–haired man smirked viciously, his purple eyes shining with insanity and practically screaming at Kabuto the pain he wanted to inflict on him.

The other man, who was even taller though had black hair and startling green eyes (they almost reminded him of his sweet Sakura's eyes), stood at the entrance of the cell, blocking Kabuto's only escape. "We have been ordered to question you on Orochimaru's whereabouts."

Kabuto's eyes widened. Had the police set this–

"By Akatsuki." the dark haired man continued, noticing the look.

The other man, the more insane looking one, grinned wickedly and reached within his shirt, whipping out a blade that had been disguised as a toothbrush. "You pissed off the wrong people." he told him darkly, grabbing Kabuto's leg (the one that damned beast had torn into, Kabuto inwardly growled) and dragging him closer. Before he could move away, the man quickly straddled him and pinned him down. "We can do this the hard way or the – fuck it. I'm going to cut you up either way."

"Wait, Hidan–" Kabuto cut himself off with a grunt of pain as the blade cut into his arm.

"Only speak when spoken to, bitch." Hidan smirked nastily and slapped Kabuto's cheek.

"Where is Orochimaru?" the other man asked from his place at the door, seeming rather impatient. But Kabuto knew that the man was most likely wanting to get to his job. Here, in prison, many of the inmates had jobs to earn money. It was no secret that this particular man loved money.

Kabuto shook his head quickly, his eyes widening. "I swear, Kakuzu–san, I don't know."

With a smirk, Hidan muttered in a deadly voice, "Wrong fucking answer."

* * *

**A/N - I won't be able to update on Wednesday for personal reasons, so I'm posting today instead! I needed something to take my mind off of everything, anyway, so I thought 'why not?'**

**Sadly, my cat died last night. We had her for seven years, since she was just two weeks old. Still not too sure what the hell happened, but the vet said it was a long term illness and even if we had taken her to the vet last week, or even earlier, they probably would have suggested euthanasia. One of the saddest parts about it is that the other two cats know. One of them has been with Gizmo all her life and wouldn't leave her side until we took her to the vets, whilst the other enjoyed tormenting her. She loved it really! They were like an old married couple and he definitely misses her.  
**

**We just need to remember the happy times, right? My older sister made a joke because of how and where we found Gizmo. She said "she's definitely the best thing you can find in a bin". I agree. I remember one time when Gizmo lost it and took out all of the other cats _and_ me! Really going to miss her.**

**SIGH.**

**Anyways, sorry if I made you all sad or dampened your moods!**

**HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


	11. Out Of Control

**Chapter 11 – Out Of Control**

"You haven't spoken to Gaara recently?"

Sakura shook her head at Kakashi's question, sitting by his side on the park bench. Since finishing school, she had tried to stay in contact with as many people as possible – those who had helped her, who had looked out for her and genuinely cared about her. Kakashi happened to be one of those few. He had been unsure about it first, not too sure if meeting a former student was appropriate, but then he would remember that she was a _former_ student. Besides, nothing went on during their meetings. They merely took their dogs to the park.

All _eight_ of his dogs.

To say Sakura had been stunned to see him walking not one, not two or three, but _eight dogs_ _by himself_, would be an understatement. One of them, Bull, was humongous. Perhaps not taller than Ao, but he was huge. It surprised her that he could control so many without any help, but they were all very well behaved. They obeyed each and every single one of his orders like Ao obeyed hers.

It made her chuckle when she noticed that the smallest dog out of them all was like the leader of the pack. Pakkun. Certainly not the prettiest dog she had ever met, but he had his moments of being cute. Like how he had watched Ao, tilting his head to the side before barking once. It seemed like some sort of acceptance, because since then, they played together all the time. Ao had been accepted into Kakashi's dog's pack.

Ao liked spending time with Pakkun and the others. His favourite new friend to play with had to be Bull, however, because he didn't have to hold back when having tug–of–wars or something of the sort. Bull was just as big and just as strong. With the others, such as Pakkun or Guruko, he was a lot more gentle. Whenever he got home from playing with his friends, Ao was always panting and exhausted, but he was obviously happy.

"Are you sure that's wise?" Kakashi asked after a moment of silence, watching as Urushi tackled Shiba to the ground. There was a bark–like yelp before Pakkun dove on them, giving them each a reprimanding snap. They stopped playing so roughly. "Ignoring your problems doesn't make them go away. It often makes them worse, as they have been left to fester–"

"We're talking about a relationship, Kakashi. Not an infectious wound." Sakura sighed. "And Gaara understands that I need time to myself and that my mom needs me to look out for her. She can't cope by herself. If I'm not there, she doesn't eat. She doesn't move. She simply lays in bed all day."

He frowned and glanced down at her. "I thought you said she went back to work?"

Running her hand through her hair, Sakura took a deep breath. Lately she had been feeling a little calmer than usual, but she knew that it was because of the alcohol. It numbed the pain in her chest, made it easier to talk about things. "_Going_ back to work. She's going back to work tomorrow. But… What if she's not ready for that? What if she's pushing herself too hard, too soon?"

There had been a time when Mebuki was asking him and Sarutobi Hiruzen that very same question, only, it had been about Sakura. Kakashi gave her a small smile. "Perhaps your mother needs the distraction work will give her, Sakura. I don't know what it's like to lose a partner, but I heard that your husband or wife is like your best friend – and I know the pain of losing your best friend. It's not something I would wish upon even my worst enemy. Let your mother grieve in her own way, but make sure you make it known that you're there for her." he gave her knee a soft pat. "Don't give up on her. Mebuki–san is a tough woman. She'll pull through this with your help."

"Thank you, Kakashi." Sakura gave him a small smile, though turned when she heard Ao barking. At the sight of him being knocked over, Sakura couldn't help but laugh, earning her a disapproving huff from him. "It's not nice always being knocked on your ass, is it, Ao?"

He barked in warning, like a teenager would yell at their parent.

She laughed harder.

Also, like a teenager, Ao huffed and turned away, seeming to be sulking.

"Ao reminds me of Pakkun when he was younger." Kakashi chuckled, not missing the interaction.

Sakura could barely even catch her breath as a certain thought entered her mind. "Pakkun kept knocking you on your ass, too?"

Once again, he chuckled and shook his head. "That would be incredibly embarrassing on my part, don't you think?"

"Very."

"No, I meant how Ao acts with you, is how Pakkun used to – and sometimes still does – act with me."

Watching Pakkun, Sakura couldn't help but smile. It was like he was the father of the entire pack, looking after each of them and making sure the others didn't play so roughly that somebody got hurt. When she was younger Sakura would have never thought that dogs would be capable of caring so much as she hadn't always been an animal lover. Now, however, she… Sakura wasn't even sure how to word her thoughts. All she could think of was that it was heart warming seeing how close they all were and she was so very happy that Ao had these guys as his friends.

Suddenly, Ao came darting over to her and realising what he was about to do, Sakura's eyes widened.

"Ao, don't–"

Too late.

His way of getting her back for laughing at him being knocked over, was to roll around in the mud and shake it off in front of her, effectively hitting Sakura with mud and who knows what else.

Her left eyebrow ticked when she heard Kakashi laughing, who didn't seem to care that he had also been hit by the dirt.

Looking down at her outfit, she sighed. "You're lucky that I'm wearing my sweats."

Ao barked several times, almost as though he was laughing.

Sakura grinned and shook her head, leaning forward and kissing his head, only for him to lick her face when she was done and about to pull away.

Yes, she thought of her dog as her baby. He meant everything to her.

* * *

They had stayed an hour later at the park than usual, mostly because Sakura hadn't wanted to take Ao from his friends so soon (they bought hot chocolate to keep themselves warm, because despite it almost being summer it was rather chilly – or so Kakashi had stated). It was adorable the way Bull watched Ao leave, like he was going to miss him terribly. And by the time they got into her car, Ao was panting heavily and his stub wouldn't stop twitching, as though he was wagging an imaginary tail. Sakura wasn't too sure why Ao didn't have a tail, but apparently it was normal for a rottweiler not to have one.

After taking a shower and getting changed into clean clothes, she made lunch for both herself and her mother, who was incredibly silent during the meal. Sakura was really worried about her.

From her classes and working with Tsunade, she had learned that mental illnesses were genetic, though could skip a generation. What if the death of her father had triggered something in Mebuki? Was her mother a sufferer of bipolar disorder, too? Say she had a child, a book Sakura had been reading told her that there was a fifty percent chance of that child also suffering from bipolar disorder, though only if it was triggered by something.

In her honest opinion, Sakura believed that everyone had the capability of being 'mentally unstable'. Nobody was ever one hundred percent sane, after all. Take a look at some of the criminals! How could somebody willingly take a life? How could somebody rape others? Even the paedophiles! What the hell went through a person's mind to suddenly decide to prey on young children, on the vulnerable?

That was just the point. She _didn't_ know what went through their minds, just like people didn't know what went through hers. Only others who had bipolar disorder could truly understand her.

But that wasn't what she was on about! Sakura inwardly growled at herself before calming down. Right now, she had to focus on her mother and the fact that something was so very obviously not right with her. How would she react if it was Gaara? It was a disgusting thought, she knew that, but would Sakura react the way her mother currently was? It was hard to tell and she didn't even want to think about it too much. It hurt.

"I think I might go and visit Ino today." Sakura spoke softly, not wanting to startle her mother. She needn't have bothered. Sometimes she had to repeat herself and speak a little more loudly for Mebuki to even hear her. "Do you want me to pick you anything up, since I'll be going through town?"

Mebuki shook her head.

Sakura tried not to let it bother her.

"Okay, just call or text me if you change your mind. I don't mind stopping off at a shop."

She nodded.

Don't get her wrong, because Sakura was devastated over the loss of her father, but she kept wondering when Mebuki was going to come back to herself. This was not how her father would want her to be. He'd want her to be focusing on other things, would want her to get back on her feet and be the fighter that she was. It crushed Sakura that such a strong woman was currently unable to speak, was barely able to sleep or eat.

Getting up and taking the now empty plates, Sakura entered the kitchen and placed all used cutlery, plates and glasses into the dishwasher, turning it on as she turned to leave.

"I'm going now." Sakura told her mother, kissing her cheek. It made her heart warm how Mebuki kissed hers in return and didn't seem distracted whilst doing so. "Call me if you need anything, won't you? I love you."

She gave her a small smile. "I love you too, Sakura. Go and have some fun."

* * *

"Sakura," Sai called out and he had the two women's attention instantly. "Would you mind if I painted you?"

She had arrived at Ino's place half an hour ago and since then, they had been gossiping and talking about what should happen next in her magazine and if Sakura liked her latest designs. Things such as those. There was a great bonus to being friends with Ino – free clothes! And not the tacky leftovers either. Sakura was given new season stuff before anybody else.

About ten minutes ago, Sai had returned from work in his gallery. Apparently during his two final years of school he had been a part of many art competitions and many artists were amazed by his work, so much so that they sponsored him and helped him open his own gallery. It hadn't been anything special at first. The place had looked a little run down, actually. However, Sai had worked wonders on the place and turned it from a barely holding it together dump, to modern and amazing. You could relax there whilst looking at his art, which Sakura had done several times. She was torn between which pieces of his art she wanted to buy, as some would go perfect in the living room at the condo.

Ino's eyes widened as she knew exactly what kind of painting he had in mind. "Sai!" she practically screamed and at her sudden rage, Sakura also figured out what kind of picture he wanted. "Have you been living under a rock these past couple of years? You can't ask something like that of Sakura!"

"Why not?" It was Sakura who spoke, her eyebrows knitting together ever so slightly. "I wouldn't mind."

This only made Ino angrier. "Are you off your meds? No! I'm not allowing you to do this! You may be fine with it now, but what about when Sai hangs it up in his gallery for people to see?"

Her question, despite not being serious, immediately had Sakura on the defensive. "I can do whatever the hell I want, pig!" she yelled right back as she stood up. "Give me a time and place, Sai."

He smiled up at her. "Tomorrow at noon in the gallery. There is a studio in the back."

"I'll be there. It's during my lunch hour." her eyes narrowed and snapped to Ino's face. "Don't treat me like I'm an invalid just because I have a mental illness."

With that, she stormed out.

Ino went to stand up and go after her, but Sai quickly caught her wrist and stopped her. "Don't go after her, Ino. Something is different about Sakura."

She nodded. "You noticed it too, didn't you?"

His eyes narrowed and he watched through the window as Sakura got into her car, slamming the door shut with more force than necessary before starting it and driving off. "She seems more agitated than usual, more easy to anger."

"Do you think she's entering an episode or something?"

There was a pause. "Bipolar does not rule her life, Ino. Remember that. Whilst Sakura may suffer from the disorder, it doesn't mean that every change in her emotions is because of it."

"I'm not saying that it is!" she argued quietly, her eyes dropping to her lap because honestly, that was exactly what Ino had been doing and she knew it. But how could she not? After finding out Sakura was bipolar, she had wanted to be there for her and had asked her doctor, Shizune, to give her as much information on the disorder as possible whilst not going into any confidential information on Sakura. Since then… Ino grimaced. What Sai was saying was true. She had been blaming Sakura's illness for everything. "If it's not, then something serious is up."

Yes, he had noticed that too, which was why he had asked Sakura if he could paint her in the first place.

* * *

The next day at noon, Sakura turned up at the gallery, smiling at Sai as he let her in and showed her into the back room. It wasn't as stylish as the actual gallery, but it was still somewhat comfortable. Only somewhat because of the lights and the scenery equipment.

"I brought the silk robe." Sakura told him, holding it up as evidence. "You want me to wear that and my underwear, right?"

Sai adjusted his canvas and nodded, though paused for a moment. "It would be better if your bra is strapless, however."

"It's not but I'm not too bothered about that. Just as long as I can keep my underwear on."

"You can."

Good, because Sakura wasn't comfortable at all with taking them off. It was a strange thought, but in her mind, only Gaara was allowed to see her without them on.

Using the changing room, Sakura quickly stripped down and folded her clothes up neatly onto the bench, removing her bra next. Not too bad, since her robe would be covering her breasts. There was a reason why this robe was her favourite. Gaara had bought it for her and it suited her well, bringing out her eye colour. The robe reached mid–thigh and was a dark, dark crimson, looking almost black and other than that, it was plain. No fancy designs necessary.

When she was certain that she was decent (or as decent as she could be), Sakura stepped out of the changing room and was greeted by Sai, who now had a camera in his hand. He had told her earlier that he liked to have several pictures surrounding his painting, to tell those who were interested in it just what he had painted and how. Also, it was so that he could remember which colours to use, so that he would only need Sakura for the outline.

"I'm trusting you not to make me look bad." Sakura smirked and posed several times for the camera, trying out many different poses and expressions varying from smiling happily, to pouting, to smiling seductively, sultry.

"That one." Sai finally told her, looking back at the picture to show her it. Right at that moment in time, her back was to the camera, though she was looking over her shoulder with a 'come hither' look. The robe had slipped off her shoulders, revealing pale, soft–looking skin and her hair looked a little dishevelled, making you question just what she had been up to. All in all, it looked good. Not too much, yet not too little that people would just pass by it without a second glance. "Can you pose like this again? I will draw the outline and then paint it. After that, you can go."

Sakura nodded and did as he asked, posing once more. It was during the painting that her phone went off inside of the changing room, though she ignored it even when Sai suggested that she could answer it. Whoever it was could wait.

"Ino is sorry about how she acted yesterday." Sai told her, pretending that he was still painting. He had made sure to have the outline and shaded areas done before speaking about what had happened yesterday. That way, if Sakura stormed out of the gallery, he still had his picture! "She is just worried about you, as you have apparently been acting differently."

Resisting the urge to frown or scowl, Sakura replied, "I'm not acting differently. I'm tired. Looking after my mom as well as Ao and myself is hard work. Not to mention I'm in college most days and on others, I'm working for Tsunade–sama. So I'm not acting differently, I'm just tired."

That made sense, Sai thought as he watched what he could see of her features for a moment. And adding to her explanation, Sakura was also taking a break from her relationship with Gaara. That had to be hitting her hard and what must be hitting her even harder, was the death of her father. It was no surprise that Sakura was so exhausted! Yes, her bipolar disorder probably was making things a little harder, but it wasn't the reason _why_ she was having it so hard in the first place.

"You should rest." Sai spoke up and was still acting as though he was painting her. Then, remembering what Ino had been telling him about those overnight spas she liked to go to, he added, "Perhaps go out for the night and relax?"

It sounded so tempting, but Sakura wasn't sure if she could do it, if she could leave her mother alone all night. "Maybe."

He tilted his head to the side, raising a brow. "Your smile is fake, Sakura, which tells me that you won't be taking a night off to relax."

And who was supposed to be studying psychiatry here?

"I'm not lecturing you." Sai told her, giving her a smile. "I am merely suggesting that you take a break. You could use it."

She seriously could, but… her mother…

"I'll think about it, but I'm not promising anything." she sighed, fixing her robe when he told her he was done. "I need to look after my mom right now."

Since Sai wasn't all too sure how that certain bond worked (although he had been watching how Ino interacted with her mother for a while, trying to understand how they felt towards one another – completely irritating and confusing if you asked him because one moment, they were like best friends and a second later, they would be arguing over something so very unimportant), he nodded. "Of course, though I am certain she would want you to take some time to relax."

Knowing Mebuki the way she did, Sakura believed that Sai was right, but right at that moment in time, her mother was not her mother. She was a heartbroken woman who could not fend for herself and needed looking after, needed protecting. Saying that, though, Ao would be there. He was perfectly capable of protecting her unless somebody somehow managed to slip by him. That wasn't a pleasant thought so Sakura immediately shoved it away and focused on how very territorial and protective Ao was, how he would tear anyone who was trespassing to shreds.

Would Mebuki be okay if Sakura went out for the night? Her mind was screaming that yes, yes she would be fine, but her gut was twisting viciously and warning her about something. Warning her about what? Sakura didn't know. All she knew right at that moment in time was that she was incredibly confused and lost and wasn't sure whether to follow her gut, her mind, or her heart.

Actually, no. Her heart had no part in this decision. If it did then Sakura knew she would be running straight back to Gaara. That couldn't happen. They needed a break, to let things cool down between them. Until he was ready to hear her out and _not_ immediately pin everything on her being bipolar, they would never stand a chance. That could not happen. Sakura loved him too much. She loved him with all her heart and it would utterly annihilate her if their relationship ended for good.

"Maybe you're right." she nodded slowly, unsurely.

But who exactly could she go out with? Every single one of her friends knew that Sakura could not drink (even though Sai hadn't been suggesting she should go out drinking, that was immediately where her mind had gone to) if she was taking her medication. If she told them she didn't need it anymore, they would most likely be angry with her. No, if it was some of her _closest_ friends, they would be downright murderous. Who wouldn't–

Sakura bit back her grin.

She knew the perfect person to call.

* * *

They had agreed to meet with her, to go out.

This certain person had never judged her. They had never made any comment or insinuated anything to her. Granted, they rarely hung out, but Sakura liked this person. They understood her in a way.

And as that certain person entered the club with an aura of superiority, Sakura smirked. Just like that night over a year ago, they were demanding every person's attention, their body language practically screaming that she demanded all others to bow down to her. There was a reason why Sakura liked this person so much. It was the air they gave off, the expressions they gave or the emotions they released. Everybody was below them, yet they looked up to Sakura like she was somebody so very important.

They spotted her easily as she was definitely the only one in the club with pink hair and also, her red dress was hardly unnoticeable. Sakura was beginning to notice something, too. Lately, she had been wearing the colour red a lot. Not just the same red over and over again, but different shades. Most were ridiculously close to Gaara's hair colour. Weird.

"Sakura."

Her smirk widened, taking in the new, more obvious yet still subtle curves. "You've definitely grown since the last time I saw you, Moegi."

It was irresponsible of her to invite a fifteen year old girl on a night out on the town, she knew that, but who else was there to ask? Besides, Moegi had been drinking for a while now. Most rich kids had their first alcoholic drink when they turned thirteen! Sakura had. So had Naruto. Even Sasuke and Itachi had and they were from one of the most traditional, strictest families Sakura had ever met before. Actually, now that Sakura thought about it, she, Naruto and Sasuke had had their first alcoholic drinks together whilst on holiday. They had been celebrating something, though she couldn't remember what. It had been something to do with Itachi. Or Shisui. Either one of them.

"You know," Moegi drawled, looking Sakura up and down, "if I knew you'd come out looking like _that_, I never would've agreed to come out with you. You're going to steal all the best looking ones."

Her words didn't register entirely as she was already a little buzzed. Secretly drinking vodka all day did that to you. Rolling her eyes, Sakura lifted her left hand. "No problem there. I'm engaged, remember?"

"Oh yeah!" she smiled brightly, sitting down beside Sakura at the bar. Her purple–pink dress shifted as she did, going higher up her thighs until it was indecently short. Moegi didn't bother to fix it and instead crossed one leg over the other. "It was all over the news and magazines. So you bagged yourself the leader of the Sabaku Corporation, huh? How did that happen?"

It hurt thinking about Gaara. It literally pained her. In response to that pain, Sakura quickly gulped down the rest of her drink before grabbing the bartender's attention, demanding a refill and ordering Moegi a drink at the same time. She didn't blame the unknowing man for not asking for Moegi's I.D, as she appeared much older than she actually was with all her makeup. Hell, she looked older than Sakura! "You've met him before, Moegi. During the Hyuuga's dinner party back when I was still in high school. He was my date for the evening."

"For someone who is supposed to be engaged, you sure don't look happy." the younger girl muttered, regarding Sakura's features. She seemed depressed, in all honesty. No it went deeper than that. Just the look in her eyes told you that. "Is it an arranged marriage or something?"

She didn't look happy? Well, maybe it was because the man she loved would rather believe his slut of a secretary instead of her! The pain increased at the thought. Why wouldn't he believe her? Had she done something to suddenly lose Gaara's trust in her? _What the fuck had happened?_ "No. It isn't arranged. Gaara proposed to me…" because he loved her? If he loved her, then why did he choose that bitch over her? "We're happy."

_No, we're not._

Before Moegi could say anything more, Sakura downed yet another drink and grabbed her hand, grinning as she pulled the girl onto the dance floor.

"Sakura, my heels–"

"Come on!" she smiled, barely even giving the auburn haired girl a chance to fix her balance. In Sakura's eyes, if Moegi was so into all the partying and the drinking, she should already know how to walk in high heels! It was practically mandatory. To not do so would mean looking like an idiot. "This is a good song. When I was your age, me and my friend, Ino, would never be off the dance floor!"

Moegi's eyes narrowed. "Is that so? Well, I'm going to have to teach you that things are very different now, old woman."

Old woman? Sakura's eyes widened, but then she burst into laughter with Moegi.

Sai was right. She needed this.

Just like old times.

* * *

"Where are we goin'?" the auburn haired girl demanded with annoyance, eyes lidded and stumbling ever so slightly. Sakura had to hold back her smirk. It seemed Moegi didn't have quite the tolerance she and Ino had. "There was a cute guy back there! And it's freezing, too. Why… Why do we have to leave?"

Rolling her eyes, Sakura continued to walk down a path she knew well. It was one she had taken with Ino, Sasuke and Naruto many times. "We can go back after this!"

Noticing where they had gone, the girl stomped her foot with annoyance, though followed Sakura into the store.

"Tattoos?" Moegi slurred, stumbling into the tattoo and piercing parlour after her. "I don't want any."

"They're not for you!" she snapped in return, strutting over to the counter and slapping down the amount that would cover the costs. Well, Sakura hoped it would, because that was all the change she had left. After that, she would be need to visit a cash machine to withdraw more. "Two tattoos please!"

The man looked up, assessing her for a few minutes through narrowed eyes. He appeared to be fairly young – at least Sakura thought that he did. There was something a little familiar about him, like she'd seen him before, but–

"_You_ again." he suddenly huffed and placed down his magazine. "I haven't seen you here in a while, Sakura. Where are the boys who are usually with you?"

Her features brightened as Sakura remembered who he was. "Akira–san! I haven't seen you, either!" a moment later and she realised he had asked her a question. "Oh you know Sasuke and Naruto! They're probably off out getting up to no good."

Nodding once, Akira counted the money and then gestured for the two women to follow him into the back, signalling for one of the other workers to handle the counter and watch the door. Not a lot of customers appeared at this time of night, but that wasn't too surprising. It was way past midnight.

"Most likely." Akira rolled his eyes. "The last time they were here, Sasuke threw up in the sink and Naruto passed out on the table." She burst into laughter, Moegi following her, making him once again roll his eyes. "You're both completely wasted, aren't you?" Sakura pressed a finger to her lips, telling him to keep it quiet. "I'll do your tattoos for you, Sakura, but the kid isn't to have any. Is that understood? Tattooing Naruto was a one–off."

"Perfect." Sakura fell into the stool, lifted her sleeves and placed her arms on the table, already knowing exactly what she wanted and where. "Akira, I want you to cover my scars."

* * *

**A/N - I've said before that I always put little pieces of myself in my stories (that sounds so nerdy but it's true). Like Sakura just now, I have two tattoos, one on each wrist. They weren't even going to be in the story, originally. I was just looking down at my tattoos the other week and I thought "something like these would somewhat cover Sakura's scars" not to mention cause a little bit of trouble! I haven't decided what tattoos Sakura's getting yet. ...Or have I? Ha! Tell me what you think Sakura should get for her tattoos on her wrists and you'll see eventually if you're right or if I used your idea!**

**I might be posting more often as writing helps me, in an odd way. It sounds silly, I know, but it calms me down.**

**Thank you to those who sent their support about my cat, Gizmo. It's still really strange walking around the house and not suddenly being hissed at for absolutely nothing, and it's even stranger not hearing her running all they way through the house just for her cat biscuits.**

**Is anyone else disappointed with how Naruto ended? I won't post any spoilers, but I'm just saying that whilst I do like some parts of the ending, I also don't like it. It just kind of seemed a little rushed to me.**

**HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!**


	12. Making Him See Sense

**Chapter 12 – Making Him See Sense**

Oh how she felt sick.

The entire world was spinning for Sakura as she slowly sat up, holding a hand to her head and swallowing the bile fighting its way up her throat. She hadn't felt so rough in a long while and the last time she had felt this way, Gaara had taken care of her. Clearly, that was not going to happen this time for many different reasons.

Taking a deep breath, Sakura glanced around unsurely for a moment before realising she was at Ino and Sai's place. How the hell had she ended up here? The last thing she remembered was being in a club with Moegi, dancing and drinking. Oh and then they had left for a short while, taken a walk to some place–

Oh no.

She closed her eyes, silently begging and praying to whoever was listening that they had _not_ gone to the tattoo parlour only ten minutes away from the club they had been in. No, they had gone to a takeout and ate before going to a different club. That was what they did. They–

"I see it's finally catching up to you."

The voice was sharp, completely uncaring when Sakura cringed at the sound.

Honestly, it wasn't even the hangover that had made her cringe at the sound of Ino's voice. Sakura wasn't entirely sure what it had been, but it wasn't because of her hangover. That was actually fading slightly now that she was sat up, after she accepted the glass of water from the blonde and took careful sips. Ino sat down beside her, staring Sakura down with an annoyed, disbelieving, yet worried gaze.

"Here." she sighed, handing over pills that would take away the headache.

Sakura took them greedily, however just as she was about to place the glass onto the coffee table, something caught her eye, making her breath leave her as though somebody had just gone and punched her in the stomach.

They had gone to the tattoo parlour.

Her scars were covered.

But that wasn't what upset her. It was what they were covered with. Kanji. On both wrists, going over her scars, was a single kanji. Her right wrist said "strong". Her left, the one that was practically screaming at her and demanding her attention, the one that upset her greatly and made her cringe…

It said love.

Just like the scar on Gaara's forehead.

How the hell was he going to react when he saw the tattoo? That scar on his forehead was from his childhood, was because of how he had been treated. It was incredibly personal to him and Sakura had gone and trampled on the meaning. In a drunken mistake, she had gone and had it tattooed onto her wrist like it meant absolutely nothing.

"Kind of romantic, in a nerdy way." Ino commented, also staring down at the tattoo. It was almost impossible to see Sakura's scars, although if you stared hard enough, it wasn't all too hard to see them. It just made it more difficult. "Having 'strong love' tattooed on your wrists, I mean. You've always been a hopeless romantic and that's not even bringing up the fact that Gaara has–"

She shook her head, still utterly horrified with what she had done.

"I think I'm going to be sick."

"Don't you dare." Ino's voice hardened as she glared at a deathly pale Sakura. "I just had my carpet cleaned!"

* * *

"Are you working today?" Ino whispered into the phone, peeking around the corner to look into the living room.

Since finding out that she had had tattoos done, Sakura had been quiet. She had been pale, quiet and looking very close to breaking down into tears. It was so wrong but Ino had absolutely no idea how to help her and to make matters worse, she was alone. Sai had already left for work as he had a meeting with some businessmen who wished to buy certain pieces of his work. Also, he had yet to finish Sakura's painting, so he had that to do, too.

"_Is something the matter, Ino–san?"_

She sighed. There had been no one else to call. Obviously, Sakura was not happy with Gaara, otherwise she would have gone to him. Then again, Sakura hadn't come to her place willingly – she had been brought here. Wailing and sobbing. Damn it, Ino had a headache just remembering all of the things she had been told about.

One of those things made her blood boil.

"Yeah, actually. I need you to pick Sakura up. She's here at my place." lowering her voice and once more making sure that Sakura wouldn't be able to hear her, she continued. "She's not right, Itachi. I'm not blaming her disorder, but something is definitely wrong with Sakura and I have no idea what I'm supposed to do! Do I stay here and keep her company whilst also keeping a discreet eye on her, or do I let her go home by herself?"

There was a pause. "_What makes you say that something 'is not right' with Sakura?"_

It seemed big brother mode was switching on, as Ino could already hear what sounded like keys being picked up. Apparently Itachi was not working today. That was good. "I mean, she's completely on edge and looks close to having a breakdown! She's… She's been drinking, too. Not just a few either. If I'm right – and I always am – then I'm guessing that Sakura's been drinking for a while now."

"_Her medication_–"

"I can't find it. It's not in the bag she was using last night, but that's not surprising. Who'd take their medication with them on a night out?"

Another pause and during that pause, Ino heard a car door shutting. _"I am not working today, as it is Saturday. Where is Sakura now?"_

"Still at my place." Ino told him and then gave him her address.

"_I will be there soon._"

With that, the call ended.

Ino bit her lip worriedly and locked the phone, slipping it back into Sakura's purse and once she had, she entered the living room, putting on a bright smile. "I found it! Somehow it ended up in the refrigerator." Lie. It had actually been in the bathroom sink. "I don't even want to know how."

"Thanks for this, Ino." Sakura said quietly, accepting the bag but then dumping it onto the sofa. A second later and her head was falling into her hands.

Gaara was going to hate her.

The moment he realised what she had done, he would hate her.

"Sakura?"

Tensing as a hand fell to her shoulder, Sakura's eyes quickly snapped to Ino's, making the blonde slowly pull her hand back. One time, Shizune had warned her that when in a panicked state, when she didn't want to be touched, Sakura _would_ attack when touched. Seeing that look in her wide, apple green eyes, the panicked look that only grew as the seconds went by, worried Ino.

"I…" she trailed off, hesitating for a moment before sitting down beside Sakura, giving a small smile when those green eyes continued to watch every single one of her movements closely. "I have a lot I need to do today, so I called Itachi to come and pick you up."

"I–Itachi?"

"Yeah. He's not working today and I'm not letting you take a smelly cab back to your place – you'd probably throw up and then _I'd_ have to pay for it!"

A reluctant smile tugged at Sakura's lips. "You're probably right."

"I'm _always_ right."

"No you're not."

"I am."

"Not."

"Am." Ino quickly shook her head and growled with annoyance. "Look, Itachi will be here in about five minutes. I've put everything back in your purse and I tried calling your mom to tell her you're okay, but she wasn't answering."

Sakura nodded. "She's going back to work today."

Immediately, Ino brightened. "Seriously? That's great! The fashion world has _really_ gone downhill since Mebuki stopped designing. I know it hasn't been that long, but–"

The doorbell suddenly rang, but that wasn't what cut her off.

It was how Sakura reacted to it.

Her hands came to her ears and she flinched as though she had just been struck, letting out a quiet noise of surprise and shaking.

"M–Make it stop!"

Make it stop? "It only rung once, Sakura."

She shook her head, eyes squeezing closed. "It won't stop ringing!"

Quickly jumping to her feet and running to the front door, Ino all but threw it open, looking at Itachi with wide eyes. "You need to take her to Tsunade–sama, Itachi. I don't care what anyone else says. This isn't normal behaviour. This is something serious – it's something to do with her being bipolar!"

Itachi regarded her for a moment before stepping into the home and entering the living room, watching Sakura as the girl continued to tremble, whispering repeatedly "make it stop". Ino was right. Something was definitely not right with her. It was incredibly harsh saying it in such a way, but Sakura was freaking out. Something was freaking her out.

"I'm going to visit Gaara." Ino told him, keeping her voice low so that Sakura didn't hear. "This needs to be fixed and since nobody is making any moves to fix it, I'm going to do it myself."

"It is best not to get involved in their relationship." just as Ino was about to argue, he continued, silencing her. "But I agree. I would have gone to him myself, but it is clear that Sakura should not be alone right now." There was no telling what she would do. Sighing, he stepped closer to Sakura and slowly knelt down in front of her when her eyes snapped open and she stared at him. It cut him deeply how terrified she seemed, how her shaking wouldn't stop. "Come, Sakura. I'm taking you home."

Her hands tugged at the sleeves of the jacket Ino had given her. "I can't go home."

Knowing that it would be okay to leave them alone, Ino went to her bedroom to get ready and once they were alone, Itachi gently took her hands in his, frowning when he felt how cold she was. Perhaps that was why Ino had given her a jacket? "Why can't you?"

And that was when she started crying. "Gaara… He's… He's going to hate me!" pulling her right hand free, Sakura lifted the left sleeve of the jacket. "He's going to hate me."

"You covered your scars." Itachi breathed, stunned to say the least as he was so very certain that Sakura hadn't despised her scars. She had never covered them permanently like she now had, because they served as reminders to her. They reminded her of everything that had happened and how so very lucky she was to be alive today. "Why would Gaara–kun hate you for covering them?" but that was when he recognised the kanji. It was the same one as the one on Gaara's forehead. Only, Itachi wasn't foolish. He knew it wasn't a tattoo. It was a scar. "Come, Sakura." he told her once more, standing up and also pulling Sakura to her feet. "We should probably get going now. We can figure out what to do or say to Gaara–kun later."

She nodded silently.

* * *

It was still early in the morning. At least seven thirty by now.

Tapping a rhythm against the steering wheel, blue eyes narrowed dangerously.

She knew that nobody had entered the Sabaku Corporation building as of yet. Well, nobody except for security guards as they traded shifts. Also, the parking lot was fairly empty. Neither Gaara's car nor Matsuri's was there yet. Ino growled angrily. Matsuri. She had met her a few times, though couldn't really say that they were pleasant meetings. Unlike others, she had noticed how deeply the brunette hated Sakura, although wouldn't have thought that she would attack Sakura in such a vicious way.

Messing with her head?

Ino wanted to see how the bitch liked it when somebody fucked with _her_ head.

And that was when a car slid into the underground parking lot. Ino had a way of getting into places she shouldn't be because of the gifts she had been given. Her breasts and looks. Men just couldn't get enough of them! Eye narrowing once more, she watched as the car was parked, watched as the door opened.

The moment she realised just who it was, Ino was out of her car and storming forward. She didn't care about the other cars arriving, she didn't care about the cameras watching them. If she got into trouble for assault, then she got into trouble for assault. Who gave a fuck anyway? Ino had plenty of money to buy her way out of trouble! Not to mention she was somewhat friends with Uchiha Shisui, captain of the police force. Sasuke would back her up for attacking this bitch, too, if he heard what she had been doing to Sakura.

"Oi!"

The brunette quickly turned around after shutting her car door, eyes going wide as she stumbled backwards and away from the car, standing closer to the wall as Ino kept advancing. "W–What are you doing?"

"I'm here on behalf of Haruno Sakura." she stated, noticing the hatred that immediately shot through Matsuri's eyes. "She told me all about you."

"Am I supposed to be happy about that?"

It seemed all fear was slowly slipping away. The blonde strengthened her stance, not caring about how intimidating she was appearing, how it was definitely a fighting stance. All she cared about, was the fact that Sakura had been crying for _hours_ last night, telling Ino _everything_ that had happened. And now? Now, Ino was pissed and Matsuri was going to pay for it.

But just as she opened her mouth, Matsuri's eyes slipped behind her, a smile gracing her lips. Glancing over her and shoulder and seeing a familiar car entering the underground garage, seeing the driver narrow his eyes in suspicion at the sight of Ino, she raised a brow, huffing in amusement at how pathetic Matsuri truly was. It had been a while since the blonde was scared of Gaara. Seeing how he acted with Sakura took away all fear. How could somebody who took such great care of Sakura, who held her like she was the most precious thing he'd ever gotten his hands on, be scary?

Her head snapped back so that she could glare at Matsuri much more viciously than before.

No matter what it took, she would protect Sakura and Gaara's relationship.

"He may be protecting you now," Ino spat, her blue eyes dark and narrowed with anger, "but believe me, the moment he finds out Sakura is telling the truth, the moment he finds out that you've been screwing with her head, Gaara is going to slaughter you. And that's _if _the Uchiha brothers don't get you first."

Much to Ino's amusement, Matsuri stood strong despite the flicker of fear in her eyes. "Gaara–sama already knows that I am the one who is telling the truth. Sakura is a crazy–"

"Oh you had better not even go there." Ino's voice was nothing more than a murmur now, but that didn't make her any less intimidating. "Listen, _girl_, it was my absolute _pleasure_ to destroy wannabes like you in high school." And then Ino was slamming Matsuri up against a wall, ignoring Gaara as he got out of his car and yelled at her to leave. She didn't care that he was making his way over to them. "Call Sakura crazy again and they won't even be able to get your dental records when I'm done with you."

"Yamanaka."

The cold voice didn't effect her like it once did, but Ino still let go of Matsuri, causing her to drop to the ground. The younger girl looked dazed as she stared up at Ino. "I need to speak with you, Gaara."

"I'm–"

"He can't! He's busy!" Matsuri cut him off.

"Shut up. It's about Sakura." her eyes narrowed dangerously. "And it's serious. Itachi wanted to be the one to tell you, but I think it'd come better from me."

Before she could even react, Ino was being practically dragged into the building and before she knew it, they were in his office. The entire journey up to the top floor was silent, with Ino barely holding back her anger whilst Gaara was just about capable of hiding his growing worry and fear. Then, the moment the were in his office, he silently watched the blonde for a moment as she seemed lost for words.

She found them a minute later.

"You've broken her, you know." Ino told him matter–of–factly as she folded her arms over her ample chest. "I know you're probably hurting too, but Sakura…"

"What happened?"

"She's turning back into the 'old' Sakura, Gaara. And not in a good way. She's shutting everyone out, including Naruto – hasn't spoken to him in weeks last I heard. Last night, well, around five o'clock this morning, she came over and was completely wasted, crying about how much she misses you."

Gaara's eyes widened. Sakura had started drinking again? But what about her medication? She was going to make herself sick! And this time, he wasn't there to take care of her. His jaw clenched. Why was she doing this? Why hadn't Sasuke stopped her like he said he would?

"That's not all she told me." Ino's voice grew harder and Gaara could tell in that moment that she was pissed with him. "Sakura told me about your secretary, Gaara. Do you know the sort of shit that whore has been saying to her? Do you know what the hell she just said to _me_?"

He couldn't be bothered dealing with this shit! Sakura needed him. He had an entire fucking business to run! There was nothing Gaara wanted more than to go and find Sakura and shake some sense into her, but he knew he couldn't. It would only make things worse. Sakura left because she needed some space, some time to think to herself. He would be there for her one hundred and twenty percent when she was ready, but Gaara didn't want to risk those suicidal thoughts getting any worse.

"Matsuri has been messing with her head!" Ino suddenly screamed at him when she noticed that Gaara wasn't going to say anything. "She's been telling Sakura that you're having an affair, that you don't love her! Do you–"

"Enough, Yamanaka." Gaara snapped, sitting down at his desk. "Sakura and I have already discussed what has been said and–"

"And you took Matsuri's side." she shook her head with disgust. "You know, when I told you that time back when we were in high school that you should be the one Sakura chooses, I thought you would make her happy. I didn't think it would turn out like this." It surprised him greatly when tears filled Ino's eyes and Gaara couldn't even deny that her words were causing a great pain to fill his chest. "I thought that you loved her unconditionally – something Sasuke–kun could never do. But… Where are you now, Gaara? Sakura needs you now more than ever and you're sitting here with your tacky little secretary!" a sob escaped Ino's lips. "I'm losing my best friend, my sister, all over again, Gaara and it is _killing me_."

His eyes closed as Gaara fought back the urge to scream out his frustrations. It was killing _her_? What about him? It felt like it was shredding him to pieces on the inside knowing that Sakura was self–destructing. "Sakura was the one who decided this, Ino." It angered him that his voice wasn't as strong as it usually was, that it was now barely any louder than a whisper. "I want to be there for her, but she won't let me."

Ino growled with annoyance. "That's because you won't believe her! How the hell is she supposed to open up to you if she feels like you won't believe her?" Gaara's head snapped up, his eyes snapping open and widening. "She's been bottling all of this pain up and _it is going to destroy her_. I'm not going to let that happen and neither is Sasuke–kun." At the narrowing of Gaara's eyes, Ino's also narrowed. "Jealous, are you? How do you think Sakura feels, seeing you with Matsuri?"

That wasn't the fucking same! He had never slept with Matsuri. He didn't have feelings for her! She was nothing more than his employee. How the hell could Ino compare the two? Sakura had once been romantically involved with Sasuke, whereas the only girl he had ever been with, was Sakura. "There is a difference." his voice was stronger now due to his anger. "I have no feelings for Matsuri – she is nothing more than my secretary. Sakura was _in love_ with Sasuke."

"Then prove it to her!" she was screaming again as Ino suddenly slammed her hands down onto his desk, ignoring the pile of paperwork that looked dangerously close to falling over. "She doesn't need your words, Gaara, she needs proof! Show her that you love her. Show her that Matsuri means nothing to you!"

"And how the fuck do you propose I do that?" he yelled right back at her as he shot up out of his seat, startling Ino, who took a quick step back in retaliation, since she had never heard him yell. "I have tried many times to show Sakura the truth, but she won't listen to me! I fucking _proposed_ to _her_! If I had any feelings for Matsuri, I wouldn't have proposed. I would have ended our relationship." he spat. "That _girl_ means nothing to me and will _never_ compare to Sakura!"

A small smile graced Ino's lips. "_That's_ the Gaara from high school."

He paused, his fists trembling with anger. "What?"

"Right now. Your anger, your emotions. This is the boy Sakura fell in love with."

Gaara's eyes widened as he realised it was the truth.

He had changed.

* * *

"Thanks for giving me a lift home, Itachi." Sakura smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of her head. "I guess last night was pretty rough and I guess it didn't leave me completely until I got some fresh air. Pig didn't want me driving at all and said _she _can't drive me because she has something to do."

Itachi gave her a serious look, not believing her pathetic excuse for a minute. "You're not supposed to be drinking, Sakura."

Rolling her eyes, she unlocked the front door and motioned with her head for Itachi to follow. Since it was his day off, he would be spending the day with her. Sakura couldn't wait! It was going to be–

Being knocked to the ground ripped her from her thoughts and for a moment, Sakura could only stare at the dog pinning her down. Ao was barking, growling and whining.

"He's scared?"

The Uchiha's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Who is in the house Sakura?"

It was then that Sakura realised something.

Mebuki's car was still in the drive.

She was supposed to be at work two, maybe three hours ago since it was now nine in the morning. Itachi had treated her to breakfast at her favourite café before going home!

"Mom…" she whispered before shoving Ao off her and darting in the house, screaming for her mother at the top of her voice. Ao and Itachi both followed her, one leading the way as he passed her and the other wanting nothing more than to stop her from going into the house.

And then as they entered her mother's bedroom, the cold air nearly knocked her out. It was so heavy, the tension was so thick. There was an ominous feeling in the air that made Sakura want to curl up into a ball and never move again.

"Stay here, Sakura." Itachi warned her as he rushed over to Ao, who was scratching at the bathroom door. From the looks of it, he had been scratching at it all night. Why hadn't he been able to break through? The wood wasn't _that_ thick or strong. Itachi couldn't deny the fact that his heart was racing, that his palms were sweating slightly. Mebuki was a mother to them all and had helped him and Sasuke out when their parents died. If he was feeling this sick, this _scared_ about losing her, how was Sakura handling it? Itachi didn't even want to look over at her as he grabbed the doorknob.

Forcing himself to stay calm, he turned it and pushed the door open, frowning as it seemed to catch on something. That was probably why Ao hadn't been able to break through the door. Dread was building in his body, his hand almost trembling as he added more force into opening the door.

And that was when he heard it.

The sound of a body hitting the ground.

Within a second, he was shoving the door open and entering the bathroom, his heart in his throat at the scene around him.

"Mom!"

His head snapped up, his eyes widening even further at the sight of Sakura entering the bathroom. "I told you stay outside!"

"_No_!" Sakura screamed at him, pushing him away from her. "That's my _mom_! I need to help her! Let me through!"

Itachi closed his eyes and let go, allowing her to move over to the lifeless body of Haruno Mebuki.

"Try not to touch anything." Itachi told her, his voice sounding oddly hoarse. "Something in here could tell us who did this."

It was obvious that a fight had broken out, but unfortunately, Mebuki hadn't been able to last long. Itachi was guessing she had been slammed around the bathroom a few times, considering the fact most of her belongings were thrown across the ground. The window was smashed from the outside, the shower curtain ripped from the rail. But the blood… It was everywhere. And on the door, it seemed Mebuki had been writing a message in her own blood.

'_Save Sakura_.'


	13. I'm Still Here

**Chapter 13 – I'm Still Here**

She had been filling Gaara in on everything that had been happening, on everything not only she, but also Sai and Sasuke had noticed about Sakura. That alone had taken hours. Adding the 'making him see sense' part was adding like, half an hour – forty–five minutes maximum. Why did reporting everything to Gaara take so long? He wanted _every_ detail. He asked many, many questions. He wanted to know everything before he got involved. When she questioned him, asking why he hadn't already, Gaara had reluctantly informed Ino that Sakura had told him she had been feeling suicidal.

It had taken ten minutes for Ino to calm down. Not only with her tears and quiet sobs, but also her anger. Sakura had been feeling suicidal, _suicidal_, yet Gaara hadn't told anyone. And Ino knew for a fact that Sakura hadn't told anyone. If she had, they would have gone straight to Tsunade, but _oh no_, not Gaara. He believed she could "handle herself", that she "only needed some time alone to think". Trying to argue with him was pointless and Ino couldn't understand how Sakura could do it. It was so very tiring. He had a retort for everything and to be honest, his anger still startled her, though nowhere near as badly as it used to.

According to him, Sakura had taken a break from their relationship to clear her thoughts, to allow things to cool down between them. Why? Because apparently, that was what was causing her to feel suicidal.

_Bull–fucking–shit._

That was exactly what Ino had said to him.

Bullshit. There was no way in hell that Sakura was feeling suicidal because of their relationship. And because of opening Gaara's eyes to how much of a spiteful brat Matsuri was, Ino made him see how the brunette's words and actions had been effecting Sakura. She asked him how he would feel if somebody approached him, claiming that they were sleeping with Sakura behind his back. She asked him how he'd feel if somebody was purposely attacking every little insecurity he had.

She asked him how he'd feel if it was Uchiha Sasuke who was telling him those things.

Once again, he grew angry – downright furious – and was yelling that it wasn't the same. To silence him she had uttered that even though he didn't have feelings for Matsuri, she was still a rival to Sakura. Just like Sasuke was a rival to him. It silenced him. Made him think. Since then, they had been talking about how Sakura was doing, how she seemed and Ino didn't even need the knowledge she had gained from being with Sai to see how deeply it hurt Gaara to hear of Sakura being in pain. It caused him great distress when he heard of her emotional breakdown the night before.

"So she is drinking again."

Ino nodded sadly. "I searched her purse and found a bottle of vodka. Not a big one, it was one of the medium sized ones – bought from a shop, obviously." there was a pause. "It was empty." It literally made her feel sick thinking of Sakura – of _anybody_ – knocking back straight vodka like that, but she'd seen Sakura do that before, when they were still in high school. "I had no idea what to do, so I made her sober up last night and this morning, I rang Itachi. Sakura, she…" she shook her head, seeming unsure. "She was completely on edge."

Considering how upset she had been by them, Ino decided not to mention Sakura's new tattoos. There was clearly a reason as to why she believed Gaara would hate her for having them. There was clearly some hidden reason why _he_ had the kanji for love tattooed on his forehead. Subconsciously, Ino's eyes drifted upwards, gazing at the red tattoo on his forehead. Why would he hate her for getting the same thing?

Gaara's eyes narrowed as he noticed where Ino was staring and seeing the expression out of the corner of her eye, she stopped staring. Obviously, it was something serious, something that was extremely personal and private.

"And now?" he asked through gritted teeth, resisting the urge to shift his bangs so that his scar was covered. In a way, Gaara could understand why Sakura hated hers being on show. It never truly bothered him all that much when people stared at his scar, when they judged him and thought it was a tattoo. However, how much had Sakura told Ino last night? The one time he had seen Sakura drunk, she had opened up to him and told him almost everything. But surely, Sakura wouldn't do that, right? No. She wouldn't. She was much too loyal and she knew how defensive he was. He trusted her.

"Now–"

Her phone suddenly ringing cut her off, filling Gaara's office with a loud, obnoxious song. She pulled out her phone, about to switch it off, but seeing the number and recognising it from earlier (having called the person just this morning from Sakura's phone), she paused.

"Itachi?" Ino frowned as she answered the call but wasn't given even a second to talk, her face turning paler by the second as she listened to him. "T–That can't be right! I was speaking with her just _last fucking night_!" Tears were falling from her eyes as she hung up the phone, as she looked into Gaara's eyes. "Itachi… H–He and Sakura… they just went back to her place since he was giving her a ride…"

When she trailed off in a sob, Gaara's eyes widened. "Sakura…?"

Ino shook her head. "N–No. Mebuki… She… She was murdered last night."

Gaara was on his feet and out of his office in a second, ignoring Ino as she sobbed in his office, ignoring Matsuri as she tried to stop him. Temari and Kankuro were in the elevator as he literally jumped into it, not able to stop the shake in his hands as he pressed the underground garage button repeatedly.

"Gaara!" Kankuro exclaimed. "I've been looking for you everywhere. There's something you should know. Last night, I was at this club and I ran into Sakura! _Your Sakura_! She was off her face, man. Like, completely wasted–"

"Not now, Kankuro."

In response, the older brother had to hold back a growl. "What if I told you that I had to take her back to Ino's?" Gaara tensed for a moment. "And she was so drunk that she thought I was you?"

Not even a second later and Kankuro was being slammed against the wall of the elevator with Gaara's face mere inches from his own. The air was viciously beaten from his lungs and for a moment, he could see stars. It had definitely been a while since Gaara had been violent. The redhead's arms flexed with the sudden urge to smash his brother's face into the mirror on their left.

"_What the fuck_ did you do?" he spat harshly, his grip on Kankuro's shirt tightening.

"Nothing!" Kankuro rasped, trying desperately to get his breath back. "Sakura was too drunk to even see straight, but it was like something snapped in her when she tried holding my hand in the cab. I swear, Gaara, I didn't touch her. She knew the moment she tried touching me that I wasn't you." and then Sakura had cried. A lot. No, she had wailed and sobbed. "I took her to Ino's place, made sure she got in okay, and then that was that. After, I left, knowing Ino will take care of her."

He let go of Kankuro quicker than he had attacked, muttering an apology.

Noticing that their little brother looked close to losing it, Temari frowned. "What's happened, Gaara?"

"Mebuki." he murmured, his narrowed eyes glaring at his reflection on the elevator doors. "She's been murdered."

* * *

"Sakura, you must come to the station for questioning, I'm afraid."

She looked up at the two officers who were practically cornering her, shaking as she took a step back. "W–What? But I–"

One of them put their hand on her shoulder, giving her a sympathetic look and turning her away at the nod he received from the officer who just left the house. "I know you are distressed right at this moment in time, but it is best that we question you now, when everything is still fresh in your mind. That way there is no chance of you forgetting anything."

"I wasn't even in!" Sakura screamed at them, stumbling backwards against the police car. "I was out!"

"And we will check your alibi when we return to the station." the second man stated, though didn't seem as patient as the first. "This is a murder, Haruno. You must come with us."

Shaking her head fiercely, Sakura looked around desperately. "_Ao_!" she cried as she searched for him. "_Itachi_!"

"Please do not resist us, Haruno." the second man sighed. "We are not arresting you, but we will if you continue."

"It won't take long."

The first man opened the back door of the police car and Sakura's trembling increased when the second man grabbed her upper arm, attempting to put her into the car. All she could see were flashes of Zaku helping her into his car. All she could hear was how he had softly spoken to her. All she could remember was how he had suddenly turned on her and then used her body to earn money.

"_No_! Let go of me, _please!_"

"Sakura!"

That voice.

"Gaara!" she sobbed, fighting against the police offer. "Gaara, help me!"

He was there in a second, but the first policeman quickly let go of the door and blocked him, giving the other policeman a chance to put Sakura in the car. It was almost ridiculous how easy it was for him to do so. Gaara's eyes narrowed. Hadn't Sakura been eating? Why did she seem so fragile and breakable as she closed in on herself in the backseat of the police car?

And that was when he caught sight of something out of the corner of his eyes.

Mebuki's body.

It was covered, of course. They had put her body in one of those body bags, but it was the fact that he knew she was in there. The woman who had accepted him into her family like he belonged there. The woman who would thank him over and over again for helping her daughter, for simply being there. She would smile and speak with him about everything and anything. Even when he seemed unapproachable, even when he was moody, she still smiled.

His breath caught and his heart stopped.

It restarted as Sakura started screaming inside of the car, banging on the door and kicking it, trying to break out.

"_Let me out_!" she screamed. "_That's my mom, you bastards. Let me out!"_

"Please be quiet, Haruno and stop kicking my car."

"Don't…" his voice was shaking and heavy with emotion and Gaara had to resist the urge to hit the officer. "Don't you dare tell her what to do."

"We must take Haruno to the station for questioning, Sabaku–sama." the second policeman told him. The first had gone to find their captain, Shisui. "Considering how she is acting right at this moment in time, we will also be contacting her psychiatrist."

His rage couldn't be hidden. "You have no right!" Gaara spat. "Sakura doesn't need to go to any damned hospital! What she needs is somebody to explain fully to her what the fuck is happening. Shoving her in a police car isn't going to help! Look at her. She's panicking! Let me go with her!" he demanded, glaring at the officer in front of him.

"I'm sorry, Sabaku–sama, but you cannot go with her."

Gaara glared viciously at the man. "Fine." he spat.

And suddenly, his fist was slamming into the man's jaw.

"Now you _have_ to take me to the station. I assaulted an officer."

Having been informed of the situation and seeing his officer go down, Shisui sighed as he walked towards them. "Put them in the same car."

"But Shisui–taichou, we–"

"He's right." Itachi stated firmly, having also heard of what was happening and just a few steps behind Shisui. "Sakura is very stressed right now and will listen only to Gaara–kun."

The second policeman glared up at Gaara, but Shisui cut him off. "Atsushi, please stand up and act professionally. Gaara–kun is right. You should not be handling the situation in such a way. Sakura has lost both of her parents and is extremely distressed. You should have explained to her–"

Atsushi cut him off, shaking his head as he stood up. "Baiu and I tried to, taichou, but Haruno wouldn't listen. She was resisting–"

"Sakura is not being arrested." Itachi silenced him with a cold glare, one that had Atsushi backing down immediately. "She is not a suspect and she did not have any part in this. I can assure you of that as all morning, Sakura was with me and last night, she was with Yamanaka Ino and her partner."

Shisui nodded once to Gaara. "Get in the car, Gaara–kun. You have until we reach the station to calm Sakura down. After that I'm afraid you will be separated as she must be questioned."

His eyes narrowed. "Questioned?"

"Please do not argue with me on this, Gaara–kun." the oldest Uchiha sighed, trying his best not to let his exhaustion and sadness show. It was difficult. "You know that you can trust me."

It was the truth, but Sakura…

Glancing over his shoulder, Gaara watched as Sakura rested her head onto her knees, completely closing in on herself and squeezing her eyes shut. Her lips were moving quickly, muttering words he couldn't make out, but Gaara was certain that she was singing to herself. That thought was proven correct when he finally turned and opened the car door, sliding in beside her.

She tensed when he placed a hand on her arm.

"Don't touch me."

The cold words felt more like a slap to the face and slowly, Gaara's hand slipped away.

Silence settled between them and outside of the car, Itachi watched with sad eyes as Sakura continued to push Gaara away, before murmuring to the others to give them a moment of privacy. Shisui agreed and ordered his officers to go and search the back garden for clues.

"Sakura." her eyes opened slowly, telling him that she was listening even though she wouldn't look at him. "I…"

What was he supposed to say? That he was sorry? No words would form on his lips. There was nothing he could say. Nothing could soothe the pain she was feeling and he knew that. Sakura had just lost her mother and not too long ago, her father, too. Petty words, no matter how pretty or affectionate they were, were going to make that better.

He didn't need to say anything to fill the silence, for Sakura suddenly did it instead.

"I've lost them." she whispered. "My parents… Gaara… I've lost them."

Looking down at her in confusion, Gaara said, "You haven't lost me, Sakura. I'm here."

Sakura shook her head tiredly. "You're not mine anymore. You chose Matsuri." and then she was crying. "I hate feeling like this. I'm losing everyone I love and _I hate it_."

It was killing him inside seeing her crying. Grabbing her left hand, Gaara lifted it so she was looking at it. "Matsuri is not important to me. She is merely my employee. Look, you are wearing my mother's engagement ring because _you_ are the one who matters."

"I–If I mattered so much…" Sakura hiccuped. "Then why?"

He frowned. "Why, what?"

"Why won't you believe me?" she all but screamed, ripping her hand out of his and facing forward, placing her elbows onto her legs and her head in her hands. "If I wasn't… If I wasn't crazy, if I was normal like everyone else, would you believe me?"

His frown deepened and Gaara wanted nothing more than to hold her, but he knew that she wouldn't want him to right now. "You _are_ like everyone else, Sakura."

Her eyes closed and she let out in a breathless sounding voice, "I really don't like liars."

And with that, she turned away, staring out of the window and ignoring Gaara.

* * *

**A/N – Poor Gaara and Sakura!**

**What do you think should or will happen? Will Sakura go back to Gaara? Will or should she accept his comfort? Or will she continue to push everyone away?**

**Quite a short chapter, so I might update again later tonight or tomorrow. Do you all think I should?**

**Turns out I have a maths test next week and if I fail, I have to pay to retake it. Um... A little warning would have been nice. My teacher is certain that I'm going to pass, though, because on all the past papers, I've been getting over 60% and 60% is what you need to pass. **

**HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! :-)**


	14. Fight For It!

**Chapter 14 – Fight For It!**

Not a single word had passed Sakura's lips during the entire journey. It was Shisui who drove them to the station even though it was another policeman's car. That didn't matter right at that moment in time. It would be better for somebody Sakura knew and trusted to take her to the station. After about five minutes of the journey, Gaara took a chance and grabbed Sakura's hand gently, entwining their fingers. She didn't tense or pull away, but she didn't return the gesture either.

It pained Shisui more than he would ever admit, but it didn't hurt him anywhere near as much as it did Gaara.

Even though he shouldn't, the Uchiha let Gaara off with assaulting the officer (making a mental note to speak with said officer later) and told him to wait. If Sakura wished to leave with him after being questioned, then she could. If she didn't, she was to leave with Itachi, who arrived only ten minutes after them. He also had to be questioned. They needed both his and Sakura's statements on everything that had happened.

For the first five minutes of the interview, it was quiet. Shisui brought Sakura a cup of tea, but it was untouched, sitting in the middle of the table and left to grow cold.

"Sakura, tell me how you are feeling." Shisui refused to acknowledge the slight beg in his voice. He already knew part of how she was feeling, as he had lost both of his parents at a young age. He knew that pain.

"It's like the world has stopped. It's like everything has just stopped." Sakura whispered, her tone flat. "I… I think I'm in shock. I just… I can't. I can't feel anything other than shock. Or numbness." her eyes drifted up to Shisui's. They were empty, haunted. They were so different than how they had been not even half an hour ago, when she had been screaming and desperately fighting. "She's gone. They're both gone. That's all that's going through my head. That's all I can think! And I… It feels like I can't even breathe. It's like my whole world has just suddenly stopped."

"Sakura…"

Her trembling hands clenched into tight fists. "What am I supposed to do now?"

"Tell me everything that has happened." Shisui told her, his voice softer than usual. "And I promise you, Sakura, I will find who did this."

Tears filled her eyes of their own accord as she stared up at him. "Please do." she whispered. "I want whoever did this…" shaking her head, she closed her eyes and bit her lip. "Why? I want them to tell me _why_ they would do this. My mom… She'd never hurt anyone unless they were threatening somebody she cared for!"

"I know." he murmured quietly in reply, staring down at the table. His chest was aching something terrible, but it only made him more determined to help Sakura, to find the bastard who had murdered Haruno Mebuki.

She seemed to pick up on his determination, for Sakura quickly wiped under her eyes, breathed deeply to calm herself and nodded once, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

"I left around eight to meet with a friend, to catch up…"

* * *

Emotionally drained, Sakura all but stumbled out of the room she had been questioned in. It seemed her earlier hangover was coming back to her as well, because just as she reached the reception area she collapsed in front of a bin, emptying her stomach's contents into it. It was easy ignoring the disgusted looks sent her way by others who were in the waiting area, but what she couldn't ignore was somebody suddenly appearing by her side, resting their large hand on her back.

She knew that hand.

"I'm here." he told her softly, his other hand holding her hair away from her face.

Inwardly, Gaara was breathing a sigh of relief. So Sakura _was_ still taking her medication! He honestly couldn't help but thank whoever was listening. Part of him had wondered if Sakura had stopped taking her pills, as according to Ino, she hadn't been sick at all last night, only upset. The last time Sakura had gotten drunk, she hadn't had nearly as much as she apparently had the night before and yet she had been so very sick.

"G–Gaara…" she choked out before she was throwing up again.

"Uh… Are you okay?"

Glancing over his shoulder with a look of annoyance, Gaara narrowed his eyes. Did they look okay? No! Sakura was currently being sick and reeked of alcohol (vomit too, now), wearing her makeup and clothes from the night before with a random jacket, whilst he was completely worn out. Somewhere in the background, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Itachi getting a plastic cup to fill with water, nodding silently to an officer who was speaking to him.

Only ten seconds later and Itachi was walking over to them, dismissing the man who was asking after Sakura with a polite smile. Then, with a sigh, he knelt down beside the couple and once Sakura was sitting back up, her hands clinging desperately onto the small waste bin, Itachi handed her the plastic cup.

"Take small sips, Sakura. You do not want to upset your stomach any more than what you already have."

It warmed them both greatly when she leaned back against Gaara, immediately relaxing and accepting the water. His hand released her hair and fell to her hip, giving a gentle squeeze. How could he tell her with so many people around, how badly he had missed her? How his arms were aching to wrap around her and hold her against him? Gaara's forehead pressed to the back of her shoulder, his eyes closing and realising that this was a private moment, despite the setting, Itachi stood up again and made his way over to the room Shisui suddenly left, needing to speak with him.

"I missed you."

Sakura bit her lip harshly.

At her silence, his eyes slowly opened. "Please come back to me, Sakura."

Tears filled her eyes.

"It isn't home without you." Gaara's whisper broke for a moment. "I need you."

She shook her head, her shoulders shaking once and feeling her silent sob, he straightened up and moved around her on his knees until he was in front of her. At the sight of Sakura's tears, however, his heart broke.

"You're not coming home with me."

His voice was almost childlike. "N–No."

Instead of arguing or trying to change her mind, Gaara instead nodded and, like his body had been demanding him to do all day, since they had decided to take a break in fact, he wrapped his arms around her, closing his eyes and holding her tightly, comfortingly.

"I love you."

Putting the plastic cup onto the ground, she returned his embrace just as strongly, burying her face into his neck, breathing out shakily, "I love you."

* * *

"Why will you not return to Gaara–kun?"

Her eyes continued to stare out of the window, watching as car after car flew by them. There was the occasional van or motorbike, too. Right at that moment in time, they were on the highway and were going back to Itachi and Sasuke's home. Itachi was taking a different route, however, so that they did not have to pass the Haruno home. That was good. The investigation was still in process and that was something Sakura did not want to see. Seeing her mother being taken away in a body bag in the back an ambulance was bad enough. If she saw many policemen going in and out of that house, it would make it all seem far too real.

"Sakura–"

"I'm not ready, yet."

Frowning as he glanced over at her, Itachi asked, "Ready for what?"

"To go back. I'm not ready."

What was there to be ready for? Sakura wasn't even entirely sure. Her mind was going much too quickly for her to even keep up with – it was like her mind was out of sync with everything else, making it impossible to focus on one thought for too long before the next suddenly demanded her attention. Confusing. Everything was just so very confusing to her. Hell, she couldn't even remember how they had gone from her clinging to Gaara, to sitting in Itachi's car.

"You can stay with us for as long as you like." he murmured quietly in return, swiftly turning a corner that guided them onto the familiar road, taking them to their houses. "Ao is currently in the garden. I had Sasuke collect him for you whilst we were at the station."

She nodded, whispering a thank you.

She was so very glad that Ao was at Itachi and Sasuke's. He had to be so very distressed already. Who knows what seeing many strangers in his home would do to him? Sakura bit her lip, her arms wrapping around her middle tightly. Where had the numb feeling gone to? She wanted it back.

Her clenched fists shook minutely.

Not only did Sakura want that numb feeling to come back to her, but she also wanted the bottle of vodka that had been stashed away in her bag.

She _needed_ a drink.

The feeling of absolutely _needing_ something was hard to describe and it wasn't even the first time Sakura had felt such a way. She had felt this way several times before. It scared her how dependent she was becoming on alcohol, but in a way, it made her breathe easily. If it calmed her down, if it helped her cope, why was it such a bad thing? It brought her the numb feeling she craved. It made her mind slow down from its ever–spinning ways.

"Sakura?"

He knew there was no use in asking if she was okay. Of course she wasn't! However, Sakura took a deep breath and tried her best to give him a smile. It didn't work and he wasn't convinced in the slightest. "I'm fine. I just… I feel sick again."

Focusing too much on trying to control the shake of her hands, Sakura did not notice the way Itachi's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "I have been meaning to ask you something since I arrived at Yamanaka–san's home."

What? What had Ino said? "Y–You have?"

"Yes." there was a pause. "Explain to me what was going through your mind to go out last night and–"

"Don't do this." Sakura whispered, closing her eyes and turning her head away.

Her body was tensing, cramping, and she didn't like it. It hurt. Badly. Enough so that it almost brought tears to her eyes. How long had it been since her last drink? It was way into the afternoon now. At least… Yes, it was four o'clock, or so the clock on the radio told her. That meant it had been at least eleven or twelve hours since her last drink. Sakura knew that it wasn't nearly as painful as it could be. No, she had gone through withdrawal before and this was nothing. However, it showed that she was advancing quickly. Becoming way too dependant.

She didn't care.

All Sakura wanted was her drink.

However…

An idea popped up in her mind, one that had her growing excited.

Sasuke also liked the occasional drink. Which meant there would be some alcohol at the Uchiha home.

"I need to know, Sakura." Itachi sighed and smoothly pulled into the driveway of his home, not noticing the plotting going on in Sakura's mind, or the fact she was in physical pain. "It worries me that you are drinking."

"I'll be fine." she gritted out, opening the door and taking a moment to calm herself so that she didn't stumble. Thankfully, Itachi was also getting out of the car, so did not see that Sakura did in fact stumble, despite trying her best to hide it. "I just need to rest."

The door to the Uchiha home opened the moment Itachi locked his car and when it did, a large dog came shooting out, running straight to Sakura.

She didn't have the patience to deal with him.

"Not now, Ao." Sakura snapped, ignoring all three of them as she stormed passed Sasuke and into his home.

Behind her, Itachi was murmuring something, Sasuke was speaking quietly in return and Ao was whining and whimpering softly, but none of that mattered to her. Sakura simply wanted the pains to stop, for her numbness to return.

It surprised her greatly to find the vodka out in the open. Okay, perhaps not out in the open, since it was in the refrigerator and clearly on Sasuke's half of it (the Uchiha brothers were very strange in her eyes and had a perfectionist, neat streak so everything had to be tidy and _just right_).

Glancing over her shoulder, Sakura quickly unscrewed the lid and pulled the bottle to her lips, gulping greedily and grimacing as it burned her throat, as the vile taste almost had her throwing up, but at the same time, she felt relief. Damn this stuff was strong! What the hell was Sasuke drinking? Sakura read the label intently, but had to reseal the bottle and put it back in the fridge as she heard footsteps. Not even a second later and Sasuke was entering the kitchen, his eyes narrowing a fraction.

"What are you doing?"

Her own eyes narrowed. He knew something. The look in Sasuke's eyes told her, _screamed at her_, that he knew something. Reaching into the refrigerator, Sakura took out a bottle of water, raising an eyebrow. "I wanted some water. Is that such a crime?"

He said nothing, but Sakura could have sworn that disappointment flickered through his eyes before they became blank once more.

Making a mental note to keep an eye on him, as he was more likely to figure out what she was doing (it was his stash, after all), she closed the refrigerator and walked around him once more, though paused at the sound of his voice.

"Remember that you're their kicker."

The name had her tensing, had her eyes stinging, but she quickly shut those thoughts down and continued like Sasuke hadn't said a word.

In her mind, he hadn't.

* * *

After calming her nerves to the point where she was comfortable, Sakura finally managed to relax enough for Ao to sit silently by her side. Until then he had continuously paced, watching her uneasily. Feeling a little bad for how she had snapped at him, she patted the space beside her and gave him a head scratch when he dropped down next to her, his large head resting on her lap.

He was feeling down too, it seemed.

That didn't surprise her. Could dogs go into shock? Could they be traumatised? It pained Sakura just thinking of Ao having post traumatic stress or anything such as that. How long… She swallowed hard. How long had Ao been scratching at that bathroom door last night until she and Itachi returned? How badly had it hurt him to hear Mebuki being attacked, yet being unable to save her like he had saved Sakura?

She bit her lip harshly and took a swig of her drink.

When there had been no one in the kitchen, Sakura had done exactly what she had in her childhood home – she had switched the contents of the bottles. Now, instead of there being nothing but water in her bottle, it was pure vodka and instead of there being pure vodka in the glass bottle, it was plain water. It had been awkward and rushed how Sakura had gone about switching them, but in the end, she had made it just in time, closing the fridge door just as Itachi entered the kitchen and asked her if she was hungry.

The truth was that no, Sakura wasn't hungry. Now that she thought about it, she couldn't remember the last time she had eaten.

Oh wait. It had been Friday morning.

Whatever. She had gone longer without food before and unfortunately survived.

Sighing, Sakura's hand reached out behind her and pressed down into the soft rug beneath her, holding up her weight as she leaned on it. The fire before her was warm and comforting, making her lose herself in her thoughts. She closed her eyes.

Getting lost in her thoughts could either be rather pleasant, or something Sakura wanted to avoid desperately. Usually it was the latter. So imagine her anger and annoyance when the living room door opened and Sasuke entered the room. That anger and annoyance cracked, however, when she noticed the sincere look on his features, when she saw the pain and the hurt. The lost look that had always pained her was back and it was stronger than ever.

"How are you feeling?"

And because of that lost look, because of how gruff and low his voice was, she couldn't help but answer him truthfully.

"I'm just… so tired." Sakura whispered to him, her eyes gazing down at her legs emptily. "I'm so, _so_ tired."

He didn't like where this was going. "Of what, Sakura?"

She didn't look up as Sasuke sat down beside her, though was obviously keeping his distance as Ao suddenly glared up at him and growled warningly. "Everything." her voice was soft, but there was a slight shake to it. "I'm so tired of everything. I don't… I hate feeling like this. I'm exhausted all of the time and not only physically."

At the moment, Sasuke was the only one who truly understood her, who believed her. Like her, he also suffered with a mental illness. He was also labelled as 'crazy' and 'unstable'. However, he never felt this down with his illness. His was mainly anger, though it could often be other emotions that sparked his anger. "Don't hurt yourself." If she was surprised by the slight beg in his voice, she didn't show it. "Please, Sakura. Think of your friends. Think of Ao. And… think of Gaara."

A bitter laugh clawed its way up her throat before she could even stop it and as it did, a single tear slipped down her cheek. "Gaara?" her eyes snapped to his and the tortured and sad look in them made his chest tighten, made his breath leave him. "He's too busy fucking his secretary to even give a shit about me."

"What?" Sasuke demanded and the second Sakura looked away, he grabbed her chin roughly, forcing her to look him in the eye. He ignored Ao growling at him, baring his fangs as the dog slowly stood up to his full height. "Are you kidding me right now, Sakura? _Are you fucking kidding me_? After all this shit, after all this pain, you're giving up? You really think that Gaara would throw somebody like you away for a fling with his secretary?" Unlike when Gaara got angry, Sasuke didn't let go. He couldn't. He had to make her see the truth. "Think with your heart, Sakura. Not your head! Stop listening to those voices telling you lies."

"You don't even–"

He snarled, his hold tightening to the point where it was painful. "I don't what, hm? I don't understand? Don't even try that shit with me! Listen to yourself. Stop laying here and feeling sorry for yourself. That's not what your parents would want. What happened to their fighter? What happened to their _kicker_?"

Tears were pouring down her cheeks at the nickname her parents used to use for her. "The fight in her disappeared." she whispered.

"No. You're just too scared to fight." Sasuke spat, catching her fist with his free hand just as it had been about to connect with his face. He wasn't bothered in the least by it. She was too weakened to cause any real damage. "You're pushing everyone away because you're too scared to fight. If your roles were reversed and Gaara was in your position, what would he do? Would he stay indoors all day, hiding from the world like a pathetic little girl, or would he fight for you?" Sakura opened her mouth, her face flushing red with anger, but Sasuke silenced her. "He nearly died for you, Sakura. He would have gladly given his life so that you could continue to live yours. _How the fuck_ can you disrespect him like this?"

By now, Sakura was sobbing and once Sasuke realised that his words had struck deep, he released his hold on her and his arms opened as she fell against his chest.

"I want it to stop." she cried, her hands fisting in his shirt as she shook in his arms. "I want it all to stop! I want my mom back. I want my dad!"

Sasuke closed his eyes, holding her tightly. How many times had he wished for the same thing? How many times had he wished for his parents to come back? So many times. So many nights he had gone without sleep, wishing and begging for them to somehow come back to him, so he could see their faces just one last time. "We don't always get what we want." he told her quietly. "But you still have a chance of saving your relationship with Gaara, Sakura. Don't throw that away. It will be the biggest regret of your life."

He should know. Even to this very day, he regretted not trying harder, being more, for her. If he had been more patient, if he had been more understanding, things could have turned out so much differently.

If anybody ever accused him of shedding a few tears as he both felt and heard Sakura crying against him in raw, agonising pain, Sasuke would smash his fist into their faces.

Burying his face into her hair, he breathed in her scent, the scent that had always managed to calm him, the scent that had always made him feel better. Since she had taken a shower earlier, Sakura no longer reeked of stale alcohol and vomit, much to his liking. That was the old Sakura. That version of herself should stay in the past, no matter how badly he wanted her back, just so that she would be with him.

After who knows how long, Sakura finally somewhat calmed herself.

It was now or never.

"Where is it?"

Sakura frowned softly in confusion, feeling utterly exhausted. "Where's what?"

"The alcohol."

"I don't have any."

"I know you, Sakura." Sasuke sighed, watching her with hidden wariness as Sakura pulled away and sat up straight. In that moment, her eyes were guarded and he knew he'd hit a nerve. "I know that you've been drinking again because it's not hard to notice. Itachi doesn't know what you're like when you've had a drink, but I do and I can see the effects now. I've been seeing them for a few days. Considering the fact that you're not being sick, I can also tell that you're not taking your medication. That or Tsunade changed your prescription."

His stash hadn't been decreasing by itself (before magically switching to water) and Sasuke knew that Itachi would never drink – he hated the stuff.

Her eyes widened. "Sasuke… Don't… _Please_!"

Sadness flitted through his eyes, but he simply pushed it away and forced himself to stick to it. "No. I'm not letting you self–destruct. I've already lost you twice and I'm not letting you go a third time. Even though you don't see me that way anymore, I'd rather have you as a friend than not at all."

"I missed you so much when we broke up, you know."

The words felt like she was squeezing his chest and Sasuke closed his eyes, not able to look into hers. "Don't, Sakura."

"But I did." she whispered. "I was hurting so much and Gaara was there for me. He didn't say a thing when I'd suddenly go quiet o–or when I… or when I'd cry." her eyes were filled with tears once again. "What have I done, Sasuke? I've messed everything up. I shouldn't be here. None of us should. I should at home with Gaara. My parents they… they should be… They shouldn't be dead! I don't know what I'm supposed to do with myself."

"What do you want to do?"

A breathy, single chuckle escaped her. "You really don't want to know."

Her words had his eyes narrowing, had his fists clenching. "Tell me."

"All I can think about," Sakura told him as she raised her sleeves, revealing her tattoo–covered scars to him (silently surprising him, as he hadn't known that she had them covered), "is _that_ night. If I close my eyes, I can still hear my mom begging me to wake up and I keep thinking that, if I go over these scars, create new ones, she'll be there. She'll be whispering in my ear, telling me that I'm going to be okay, that she's going to be there to help me get better." her eyes swept over to his languidly. "Most of all, I just want to feel that feeling again. It's hard to explain it and the word 'relief' doesn't come close. The feeling was like nothing I'd ever felt before."

"Don't you dare do anything stupid, Sakura."

She ignored him. "It had felt like all of my problems, all of the stress that had been building up and picking at me, was draining away. I want to feel that again. I want to feel all my anger a–and pain just… fade away." By her side, Ao whined. "Sasuke, you said that you know Gaara isn't seeing or sleeping with Matsuri, but how can you be so sure?"

"We may not be exactly alike, but we're more alike than either of us want to admit." he replied, his voice sounding oddly strained and when she looked into his eyes again, Sakura found herself surprised as she saw the pain in his eyes. "Gaara won't do anything with Matsuri, Sakura." When she opened her mouth, about to argue, he beat her to it. "If there is a small chance that he does, it won't be because he wants to. It will be because of the stress."

"That doesn't make it right!"

He gave her a blank look. "When you slept with me that last time, did you tell Gaara?" Sakura nodded, looking down at the ground. "And how did he react?"

Well, to put it simply, Gaara had fucked her like an animal and destroyed his bathroom in the process, making her forget about everything except for his name. But she couldn't exactly tell Sasuke that, could she? "He was hurt." Sakura answered after a couple of moments. "And angry."

"But he forgave you."

"…Yeah."

"And if Gaara slept with Matsuri, would you forgive him?"

Sakura bit her lip as tears filled her eyes. "That's different. I was in love with you, Sasuke."

"You didn't sleep with me out of love." Her eyes widened, snapping to his face in shock. "I'm not an idiot, Sakura. I didn't know it at the time, but it wasn't too hard to figure it out. Just seeing the way you acted around him told me that. I still don't know why you did it and I don't want to know." The answer would be far too painful. "But whilst it's not entirely the same…" Sasuke shook his head. "I can't see Gaara hurting you and I can't see him sleeping with another woman, but if he does do that, it will be because of stress. Not out of love." And Gaara would be an idiot to do such a thing to Sakura.

He reached out for her, gingerly taking her hand. "Don't give up on him, Sakura." Sasuke murmured, his eyebrows knitting together and his jaw clenching. "Hear him out." he gave her a soft smirk, though his eyes were fixed on their hands. "He's a complete mess without you."

It took her a few seconds to come to a decision, her hand squeezing his softly.

* * *

His head was banging. His heart was pounding.

It pained him greatly being parted from Sakura.

Everything was just… _so_ wrong without her.

Goodbye to his recent schedule. Gaara no longer took days off or finished early. He couldn't stand being in that condo alone. It wasn't his home. It was theirs. His and Sakura's. There was no Ao running to greet him when he returned home from work, there was no Sakura sat, lost in her work, at the island in the kitchen.

Without Sakura there (Ao, too) that condo was no longer his home. It was merely a place he sometimes stayed in and that was only if he could drag himself out of his office to face it.

Taking a deep breath, he dropped his head into his hands, fisting his hair as he squeezed his eyes shut.

It had been over five hours now since he and Sakura parted, since she left with Itachi. He wanted her so badly. Not in a sexual way – the thought hadn't even crossed his mind – but in a tender way. A loving way. Gaara missed having her fuss over him, having her kissing him softly every single time they greeted each other, even if they had only been parted for ten minutes. His mornings no longer started with an affectionate kiss. He no longer got to hold her as she slept at night.

He smiled softly.

On the nights when he could not sleep, Gaara had always enjoyed holding her as she did, had enjoyed seeing the peaceful expression on her face. It relaxed him greatly and took away any negative emotions he had – successfully helping him relax enough to sleep.

How long had they been together for? It was late into June now and they had gotten together – unofficially – on New Year's Eve. That was a night he would never forget for several reasons. One being that everything was shared with him. Another because of Sakura showing him that it was okay to feel. She had held him and proved to him that she wasn't afraid of him.

One year and six months if he didn't include this temporary separation. Gaara didn't include that. This was merely them taking some time to themselves to think.

It wasn't easy – these couple of months were proof of that. There were times when they would argue, when they would grow angry with one another, however, they always stuck together. Even if he was so, _so_ incredibly angry with her, Gaara couldn't go long without at least seeing her face and if he caught even a whisper of somebody badmouthing her, he would be there in an instant to defend her, just like she would for him.

Grabbing his phone, Gaara unlocked it and went through his contacts, his finger hovering over Sakura's name for a second before he finally pressed it. He smirked at the picture. When he had been asleep one time, Sakura had changed the picture of her caller i.d, changing it to one where they were together. Happy. Gaara liked the picture so hadn't been upset with her for going on his phone. What was there to be upset about? It wasn't like he had anything he wasn't supposed to on there. No secretive messages, no unnecessary phone calls. Besides, Sakura at least trusted him enough not to go through his phone like he knew others did. Temari had once gone through Shikamaru's, whilst Ino always went through Sai's.

He scoffed quietly. No trust. You needed trust for a relationship work. It couldn't all rely on love because whilst it was a powerful emotion and was enough to break you, it could not fix something that wasn't there.

"_Hey, this is Haruno Sakura. Sorry I can't come to the phone right now, but please leave me a message and I'll get back to you as soon as I can!"_

Gaara sighed and ended the call. There was no use in leaving a message. If she wasn't answering her phone, then it most likely wasn't even with her. That was just a fact.

His hand shook ever so slightly as he put the phone down onto his desk.

He was so stressed right now and there was so much going through his mind. Was Sakura okay? Will she ever speak to him again? It annoyed him, but that second question made his heart ache and it felt like… it felt like he wanted to cry. _Him_. Crying. Pretty foolish, right? Gaara just hoped that no matter what, Sakura would be okay. He hated the thought of her being upset or feeling like she was alone. He knew how much she hated to be alone.

As though that wasn't bad enough but because of his mind focusing only on Sakura, his work had been piling up, paperwork had been missing their deadlines. Gaara hadn't been able to sleep properly since she left. All that kept running through his mind were the times they'd spent together, practically torturing him into thinking that they would never be able to create more memories. It pained him. The reason he had proposed to Sakura was because he wanted to spend his life with her.

They had embraced earlier right until she left him again, but that could have meant anything. Gaara was trying his best to be optimistic, to think that yes, Sakura was going to come back to him. Was that the truth? The negative part of him was saying no, it was not. Sakura was never coming back and that embrace had been their final embrace. That was why she had held onto him for so long, that was why she had cried when he told her that he loved her.

Gaara shut his eyes tightly. He didn't want to feel that. The pain that came with those thoughts was most definitely unwanted. It hurt too much.

A knock at his door made him sigh and take a moment to collect himself before softly telling the person to enter.

It was Matsuri.

Part of him wanted to scream at her to leave, that it was _all her fault_ for hurting Sakura, but that would be wrong of him. It wasn't only Matsuri's fault. Sure, she shouldn't have been so horrible, but Gaara knew he was just as to blame. He should have believed Sakura.

He was too exhausted to tell her to leave him alone.

Closing the door behind her quietly, Matsuri walked over to the desk and sat down opposite him. Silence settled between them and it seemed she could pick up on his mood, for the brunette wasn't her usual, cheery self.

"I'm sorry for your loss, Gaara–sama."

It wasn't only his loss. Yes, over the past eighteen months, he and Mebuki had grown close enough that he could see her as a mother figure, however, the others would be hurting more than him. The ones who had grown up with her by their sides. How were Sasuke and Naruto taking the news? How was Itachi taking the news? How long had the latter known Mebuki for? Since he was four years old, Gaara was certain Sakura had mentioned. Mebuki had been a major part of Itachi's life, especially after his own parents died.

And then… there was Sakura.

"Gaara–sama," Matsuri sighed sadly, standing up and moving around the desk. She ignored the way he tensed, the way his eyes snapped up to hers, when she pulled him to his feet and into a tight hug, "please don't bottle up your sadness and pain. It isn't healthy and I don't want to see you wither away. We're… friends, right?"

He didn't return her hug. That would be wrong of him to do so, wouldn't it?

Were they friends? Gaara had thought that they were honestly nothing more than boss and employee.

So, not knowing what to say, he didn't answer. He merely stayed still in her hold, trying to ignore how close she was, how she was rubbing his back in a supposedly comforting gesture. If Gaara focused hard enough, he could pretend that it was actually Sakura who was holding him. His mind was so tired that he barely even took in the differences in their bodies. Whilst they were both petite, Sakura had definitely grown since high school and was the most curvaceous of the two, yet not overly so.

Pulling back ever so slightly, Matsuri gave him a small smile. "I'm here for you. Whatever you need, no matter how great, just take it."

And then, Matsuri pressed her lips to his.

And he didn't stop her.


	15. Together

**Chapter 15 – Together**

Her hands were fisted in his hair as he pushed her against the wall, gripping her legs tightly as they wrapped around his waist. But just as Gaara pressed his body against hers, he realised something.

He wasn't aroused…

…because no matter how tired his mind was, this wasn't Sakura.

The legs around him weren't as toned as hers, or as smooth. The hands fisted in his hair were far too gentle and they didn't tug on it like Sakura's hands would. Her hips weren't as wide as Sakura's, her lips weren't as full. The sounds of her whimpers and moans didn't arouse him like Sakura's did. Damn it! What the hell was he doing?

Gaara dropped Matsuri like she had a disease as he backed away, feeling disgusted with himself. How could he betray Sakura like that, especially at a time like this? He had… He would have had sex with Matsuri if he hadn't stopped it right there and then! Looking down at himself, Gaara could only feel a little grateful that he didn't have an erection. Okay, maybe he _wouldn't _have had sex with her, but what he had done had still been bad. It was like his body knew that Matsuri wasn't Sakura. Or… was it his heart that knew that?

"Gaara–sama?"

His eyes snapped up to look at Matsuri and even though he knew it wasn't entirely her fault, he couldn't help but feel angry. No, Gaara was furious. _Livid. _He hadn't felt so angry in a _long _time. She had taken advantage of his emotional instability, had moved in when his guards were completely lowered and his exhaustion obvious. Now that he thought about it, this was entirely Matsuri's fault! "What the hell are you playing at?" he practically roared, slamming his hands against the wall on each side of her head, glaring down at Matsuri. "You know that I am engaged to Sakura!"

"You don't love her, Gaara–sama!" Matsuri whimpered, shrinking back against the wall and squeezing her eyes shut. Sakura would never have done that. She would have stood up straighter until she was right in his face, yelling right back at him. "You're not happy with her! I can give you what you want!"

The sound of his fist connecting with the wall had her eyes snapping open, staring up at the redhead with wide, terrified eyes. She had never seen him so angry before! "Do _not_ act like you know me." his eyes were shut and his voice was low, the sound of it sending a shiver up her spine. But it wasn't the shiver she had always wanted. It was of fear, not pleasure. "Even if I didn't love her, I would never love such a child who plays foolish games!" then, his eyes snapped open, like he had just had an idea. "How long?"

Matsuri actually _trembled_ at the new anger in his tone. It didn't even sound like her boss anymore! "W–What?"

"_How long_ have you been trying to destroy my relationship with Sakura?" he spat and it took everything in him not to wrap his hands around her throat. Had everything Sakura had ever told him about Matsuri been true? Was this… this _girl_ the reason why Sakura had left him?

She wanted to disappear. Into the wall, into the ground… wherever. Matsuri just wanted to be anywhere but here. Even her tears seemed to have no affect on Gaara. So, with a strained, quiet voice, she mumbled, "…Since I met you."

Gaara pushed away from the wall, one of his hands going up into his hair as he tugged on it, as his eyes widened with shock, disbelief and anger. Sakura… She had been telling the truth! She hadn't been paranoid. Everything she had warned him about, everything that she had said Matsuri had done, all the horrible things Matsuri had said to her… it was all the truth. And he hadn't believed her. Oh how he felt sick! Sakura had put her full trust in him yet he… Oh God.

"G–Gaara–sama… I–"

"You're fired." he muttered, still staring down at the ground with wide eyes.

The door opened, but Gaara didn't look up as his siblings entered the office at a hurried pace, only to pause when they noticed the dishevelled appearances of their brother and Matsuri. But not only that, they also paused at the horrified look on Gaara's face. It looked like he had gone into shock!

She couldn't stop the tears that filled her eyes. "Gaara–sama! Please, I'm s–sorry!"

"_Get out_!" even Kankuro jumped at the volume of Gaara's voice. "You've ruined _everything_! I was going to marry her, spend the rest of my life with her but you _fucked everything up_!"

A certain memory, a certain warning, flashed in Matsuri's mind. "_But believe me, the moment he finds out Sakura is telling the truth, the moment he finds out that you've been screwing with her head, Gaara is going to slaughter you_."

At the time, she had thought Yamanaka Ino had been exaggerating.

Now, she wasn't so sure.

Kankuro quickly jumped into action when Gaara stepped forward, his eyes narrowing as he pushed Gaara back slightly. A grunt of pain escaped him as his younger brother grabbed his shoulders, trying to shove him out of the way, but Kankuro stood strong and gritted his teeth, forcing all of his weight onto Gaara and making him stumble back a step or two.

"Matsuri." Temari snapped, immediately gaining the brunette's attention. "What the hell have you done?"

"I–I didn't…" she whimpered, leaning back into the wall when she saw Gaara's livid expression. It was like he was possessed! "mean… for anything bad to happen!"

Kankuro finally managed to knock Gaara off balance and when he did, he quickly restrained his younger brother, sighing as he noticed that it certainly wasn't as easy as it used to be. Whenever Gaara… No. It had never been this bad when Gaara had snapped. No matter how angry he got, he had never looked at anybody the way he was currently glaring at Matsuri – not even their father. Actually, yes he had. Gaara was looking at Matsuri almost exactly how he had looked at Yashamaru. He looked like he wanted to rip her to pieces.

"Oi, Gaara! Get a hold of yourself. You can't attack employees!"

His eyes slowly moved to Kankuro's face and the older brother was surprised to find the pained look in them, making Gaara look as though he was about to cry. It made him swallow hard. It killed him inside seeing that look in his brother's eyes! "…Sakura is gone… because of Matsuri. Everything she had ever said about her has been true."

Temari's head snapped from her youngest brother's face to Matsuri's. "I'm not even going to bother asking if Gaara is telling the truth, because my brother has never lied to us before." she took a step forward, pinning the brunette in place with her glare. "But I am going to ask you one thing and you had better tell me the truth."

The fierce look in her teal eyes had Matsuri's knees shaking. "W–What?"

She closed her eyes for a moment, wondering if asking such a thing with Gaara around would be wise, but Temari had to know. "The day Sakura's father died," she noticed out of the corner of her eye once they had opened again how Kankuro strengthened his stance when Gaara tensed, "did you really tell her that Gaara was busy? I can remember that day clearly and except for paperwork, Gaara had not been busy at all."

When Matsuri didn't answer, Gaara snapped. "_Answer her_! Did you really keep the news of Kazashi's death from me?"

"…I did."

Kankuro grunted as Gaara thrashed, trying to break out of his hold. "Temari, get her out of here! We'll send her stuff later."

"Can you handle him by yourself, Kankuro? Gaara has never been this angry before, not even–"

"Just _get out_!"

"I–I'm sorry!" Matsuri cried as Temari shoved her out of the room.

Temari simply shook her head, feeling disappointed in the girl, but not only that, but she felt guilty too. Not so long ago, she had promised Gaara that she would do whatever it took to help him help Sakura. Temari gritted her teeth as she walked towards the elevator, her hold on Matsuri's arm tightening. All this time, she had thought that it had been Sakura's illness making her paranoid, but she had been telling the truth! And now… now it might be too late for Gaara to try and save his relationship with the pink haired woman, with the woman he loved.

Even when they were out of the elevator and downstairs, Temari didn't release her hold. Matsuri should be grateful that she didn't do anything worse than hold her roughly!

"Temari!"

Looking over her shoulder, Temari shook her head. "Not now, Shikamaru. I'm sorry, but–"

"What's happened?" he demanded, his eyes narrowing at the fierce look in her teal eyes. By the looks of things, it was serious. Shikamaru had never seen Temari look so angry before.

Again, she shook her head, but this time, Temari also bit down on her lip. "Sakura…"

"What about Sakura?" Shikamaru's voice had hardened now.

"She had been telling the truth." Temari told him. "Everything she told us had been the truth. Matsuri tried destroying her and Gaara's relationship and has purposely been messing with her head."

Matsuri flinched.

It was incredibly rare for Shikamaru to lose control, to show so much anger.

* * *

"She's gone." Gaara whispered, looking down at his hands. "Sakura's gone… because I betrayed her."

Kankuro looked down at his brother sadly. "You didn't betray her, Gaara."

He simply shut his eyes and shook his head. "I was going to have sex with Matsuri." when he was met by stunned silence, Gaara opened his eyes, looking blankly down at the ground with his emotionless mask back in place. "I was supposed to believe her, yet whenever she tried to tell me things that Matsuri had done, whenever she had tried to warn me of her attempts at destroying our relationship," his fists squeezed closed, but that was the only sign of his anger, "…I just thought she was being paranoid. I didn't believe her."

It hadn't taken too long to knock some sense into his younger brother. All Kankuro had to do was mutter a few carefully chosen words, reminding him of all he had worked for and the things he still had to fight for. Once he had calmed down, Kankuro had guided him over to the sofa and gotten him a glass of water, though it went ignored.

"So many people tried to warn me." Gaara shook his head as it dropped into his hands. "I didn't believe a single one of them. Not entirely, anyway."

"You can't blame yourself for that." Kankuro sighed and sat down next to him. "Matsuri seemed like such a nice girl, you know? Sure, there was the odd remark that sounded bitter, but nothing more. At least not around me. I just thought she liked working hard and making a good impression." he gave a shrug, leaning back. "The crush on you was ridiculously obvious, but I never thought she'd attack Sakura like that."

His head snapped up. "Attack?"

"Verbally." Kankuro quickly corrected himself, noticing the anger growing in Gaara. It dissipated at his correction. "C'mon, Gaara." he chuckled. "Matsuri wouldn't stand a chance if Sakura got violent! You've seen her fight."

That was true, but given how weakened she was earlier… "If Matsuri had physically attacked her recently, Sakura would not have won. She is weak right now, Kankuro. Not only physically, but also mentally and emotionally." Completely drained. "You didn't see her earlier, when they were trying to get her into the police car. Sakura couldn't even fight back!" It had almost crushed him seeing her so weak, so defenceless. Where was his Sakura? "Previously, she would have handled them by herself with no problems. Tsunade taught her how to fight, after all. Right now, however, she is too weak."

The brunet glanced down at his hands, remembering the time when Sakura had restrained him with little to no trouble. Not only was she freakishly strong, but she was also fast. That was the thing you had to look out for the most. No, actually, it was her size. She could slip by you without you even noticing – not until it was too late, anyway. If Sakura got the upper hand, chances were, you weren't getting it back. You were done for unless you had back up to take her by surprise.

If she was weakened that much, what did that mean? Kankuro narrowed his eyes and tilted his head in Gaara's direction. "Is she not eating or exercising?"

He shook his head. "No. Itachi told me that she has no time for exercising and even though he treated her to breakfast earlier today, she did not eat much of it – if any at all."

"Look, I know you don't want to hear any of this," Kankuro sighed again, "but last night at the club, she was a total mess, Gaara. Falling over everywhere, almost getting into fights against groups of other people. Sakura's just… She's not being Sakura. Not the Sakura we've got to know, anyway." his brother nodded silently. "I think it was around four in the morning, maybe five, when I finally took her to Ino's. She kept fighting with me and arguing."

Gaara frowned. "Sakura was out drinking alone?" What if something had happened to her? What if Kankuro hadn't been there and somebody had taken advantage of her? Oh God it made his stomach twist viciously. "You didn't see anybody with her?"

Looking deep in thought, Kankuro tried his best to remember everything about the night before. It wasn't too difficult. After spotting Sakura and knowing for a fact that she wasn't supposed to be drinking, he had stopped drinking and kept an eye on her, choosing soft drinks instead. His friends had abandoned him one point in the night, saying he was 'being a bore', but they didn't know why Kankuro was watching Sakura so closely. Many times, he had had to get up and make guys leave her alone. Hell, she had even had women approaching her at one point! However, Kankuro had found nothing arousing about the women attempting to feel her up.

Sakura hadn't even known she was being touched.

That was when Kankuro had decided that enough was enough and dragged her out of that overcrowded club despite her protests, arguing with the bouncer and many others when they tried to stop him. They had thought he was kidnapping her! It had made him so angry and usually, Kankuro did not lose his temper so easily. Since Gaara had calmed down, he liked to think that he had, too. He wasn't on guard as much anymore. Anyway, back to his story! Kankuro had told him that he was her brother–in–law and that if they didn't believe him, then all they had to do was search Sabaku Gaara and Sabaku Kankuro online as well as look at his i.d card. With Gaara's name, came hundreds of pictures of him and Sakura together, although there hadn't been any new ones recently (obviously).

Once realising that he was in fact telling the truth and wasn't planning on abusing her, the bouncer allowed Kankuro to take Sakura home.

"No." his frown deepened. "If anybody was with Sakura, they were gone by the time I saw her." Oh, that reminded him! "Oi, did you see Sakura's wrists today when you were with her?"

Immediately, Gaara tensed. "Her wrists? Why?"

"She had them covered last night, but not with bracelets or makeup." Kankuro told him, his brow furrowing in confusion. "She had this stuff around it – gauze or bandages or something. Plastic as well, I think."

That was odd. Gaara frowned again. "No, I didn't see her wrists today. She was wearing a jacket." A jacket that had been much too big for her. It was most likely Itachi's, or considering how she had been at Ino and Sai's, it was probably one of Sai's jackets. It didn't bother Gaara that Sakura was wearing either Sai or Itachi's clothing. They didn't have any interest in her romantically just like she had none in them.

"I wonder what that's about?" the older brother asked quietly before asking almost hesitantly, "You don't think she…?"

"No." Gaara's reply was immediate, the words sharp. "Sakura would not harm herself."

Despite his words, Gaara wasn't entirely sure.

He closed his eyes and breathed deeply.

He hoped she hadn't harmed herself.

"You should probably go home and rest, Gaara." Kankuro spoke, patting his shoulder in a brotherly gesture as he stood up. "You look exhausted."

The last thing he wanted was to go back to an empty condo.

"That's an order, Gaara." a different voice spoke up, making his eyes narrow on Temari as she placed a hand on her hip. Behind her was Shikamaru, who sighed and shoved his hands in his pockets. "We'll take care of things here. Go home."

* * *

Sakura stared blankly at her reflection and, for the first time in a long time, her eyes locked onto her own. What she saw had her insides burning. Her eyes… they were the eyes of a victim. They were the eyes of somebody who was weak, pathetic and disgusting. And that was when the self–loathing entered her eyes, making her breath catch. Sakura had always hated parts of herself, but she had never thought it was _that much_.

The sound of the front door opening had her tensing, had her quickly turning around to face the door.

As Gaara entered and threw down his jacket, rubbing his hand tiredly over his face and into his hair, she felt something in her want to reach out to him. He looked so tired and stressed…

It was when she took a step forward that he noticed her, his eyes snapping straight to hers. Sakura tried her hardest to ignore the look of guilt and regret in his eyes. It was her fault that they were in this mess in the first place.

"Sakura?" he spoke quietly, like he couldn't believe what he was seeing. "You're home?"

"Gaara, I am _so_ sorry for the way I've been acting. I didn't–"

"Matsuri kissed me."

Silence.

There were no sounds besides their breathing as they stared at each other, one with tears in their eyes and a quivering bottom lip, whilst the other looked worn out and sad. It felt like hours passed, but was actually only five minutes later when the conversation continued.

It felt like her heart was being shredded, like somebody had reached right into her chest and was tearing her heart to pieces. "W–What?"

Gaara's eyes filled with even more sadness and guilt as he watched Sakura press a hand over her heart as though in pain (just like he had as a child when his family would ignore him, when he thought that everybody hated him) whilst a look of fear, betrayal and despair flashed over her features. No matter how badly Gaara wanted to look away, he couldn't. "Today, in my office shortly after returning, Matsuri kissed me… and… it… it almost led to sex."

Finally, Sakura's tears started to fall, slipping down her cheeks silently before falling to the wooden floor, making little dripping sounds. It may have seemed a little over dramatic for her to cry over just a kiss, but that wasn't the point. The point was that Gaara had kissed somebody, or had been kissed… whatever. Wait. Did Gaara just say that they had almost had sex? Her mind was spinning too fast for her to even think straight.

"And?"

He frowned. "And what?"

Like the masochist she was, Sakura looked him dead in the eye, waited for her vision to clear, before asking, "Did you like it?"

To her question, his frown deepened. Of course he didn't like it! "She wasn't you."

"She's not me?" Sakura repeated slowly before anger settled on her features. "Does that mean that she was better? Did the fact that she _wasn't me_ make it more pleasurable? Did you like it better than when we did those things? Because she's not some messed up _whore_ who has problems, _do you prefer her_?"

Too stunned by her sudden outburst, Gaara could only watch in a mixture of shock and horror as Sakura whirled around and smashed her fist into the large mirror behind her, not missing the look of self–loathing that had been in her eyes before she did it.

"Sakura, stop it!" he snapped out of his trance quickly.

It wasn't the first time that Sakura had heard Gaara yell, but she was too wound up to take notice of the difference in his voice or how strange it was to hear his usually quiet voice so loud.

Falling to the ground, Sakura clutched her bloody hand to her chest as she cried. It felt as though everything was jumping on her all at once, like she couldn't even catch a break before something else went wrong for her. It felt like everything was underwater again and she was watching everyone breathe easily whilst she was drowning, trying desperately to get their attention, to get them to _help her_. But nobody was listening to her. Nobody even spared her a second glance.

"I–I'm sorry." Sakura sobbed as she squeezed her eyes shut, not sure on whether she wanted to push Gaara away as he knelt down beside her or to pull him closer. "I don't… I don't know what to do. I want to hit you, but I don't want to lose you. _Gaara_," she looked into his eyes almost desperately, "I can't lose you. I love you so much."

Sighing, Gaara helped Sakura to her feet before pulling her into the bathroom and going through the middle cabinet under the sink to find a first aid kit. As he worked on cleaning the gash on her hand, he spoke quietly, yet seriously. "I fired Matsuri, Sakura." when she gasped, he continued. "I discovered that she had in fact kept the information of your father's passing from me, as well as your phone calls. I'm sorry for doubting you, but you have to try and control your anger and other emotions. You cannot simply turn up to the place where I work and attack my employees." A bit hypocritical of him, yes, but he had to make her understand.

Once done, Gaara went to open Sakura's cabinet to get her something for the pain, only to have her quickly catch his hand. When he looked at her with confusion, she only smiled and tried to pull him away from the cabinet. His eyes narrowed. What did she not want him to see?

"Gaara, come on. Let's go and–"

"What are you trying to hide?"

This time, it was Sakura's eyes that narrowed. They narrowed defensively. "Nothing."

Yanking his hand out of her hold, Gaara quickly opened the cabinet. It took him a moment to notice what was missing, but when he did, he could feel his anger growing. Yes, Sakura had taken a bottle with her when she left, but there should have been more. There should have been two bottles altogether, which would last her two months. "Where is your medication?"

Just as Sakura went to leave the bathroom and ignore him, Gaara grabbed her hips and pinned her against the counter.

"What do you think you're–"

"What have you done with your medication, Sakura?" Gaara demanded, his hold tightening as he kept her pinned.

"I got rid of them!" she screamed right in his face, her eyes filling with fresh tears. "I don't need them anymore! I just want to be normal. I wanted us to…" looking away from his furious eyes, she swallowed the hard lump in her throat and continued. "I wanted us to try and be a family. I w–wanted to make you… h–happy."

He couldn't deny the fact his chest was aching, how his throat was aching and his eyes were stinging. "You need help, Sakura." Gaara whispered and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't make his voice any stronger. The sight of her tears falling only made the pain worse. "Professional help."

It made him only partly happy when she nodded quickly, taking in a deep, shaky breath.

Pressing his forehead to hers, Gaara closed his eyes, but opened them again. He knew he had to make sure she knew he was being serious. Not only saying it, but completely serious. "You're not going to Konoha Psychiatric Ward." Gaara promised her, his hold tightening on her at the scared look in her eyes. "We'll find you somewhere nice, somewhere you can relax and…" he shook his head, unable to find the right words. In his mind it sounded so very much like he was trying to get rid of her. That was what the pain in his heart was telling him. It was telling him that it sounded like he was getting rid of her. "And then when you're feeling more like yourself, you can come back to me." Gaara told her softly, smiling ever so slightly at the happy look in her eyes. "When you do, we'll work on whatever problems we have. Together."

"Can…" Sakura bit her lip, glancing down at the ground for a moment before looking at him again. "Can we wait for a little while? I'll… I'll go today, but I just… I want to spend more time with you first."

"Of course." Gaara sighed, bringing her closer into a comforting embrace. "You're not going anywhere until we find you somewhere you _want_ to be. Until then, I'm not letting you leave my side for even a second." he gave a small smirk at the shaky chuckle she gave him. "We've been parted for far too long."

It only vaguely registered in both of their minds that they weren't interested in anything sexual. They simply wanted to be together. Holding each other. So much had happened in such a short amount of time that it had both of their heads spinning and not only Sakura's. The pressure, the pain, was unbelievable and Gaara couldn't believe that the woman he loved had been trying to handle it all by herself.

She was so strong.

He was determined to help her again. Just like he had a year ago, when they had still been in school. It was going to be a long and difficult road to recovery and there were certain things she would never recover from, but Gaara was determined to help her. He would be there in whatever way he could be. He would earn her forgiveness for his wrongs, no matter how long it took.

"I love you."

Gaara smiled softly at her words, feeling so very grateful that she would be hearing him out. He'd been worried, no, he'd been utterly terrified that his mistake would end their relationship for good. "I love you."

* * *

"What about this place?" Gaara asked quietly, showing Sakura a rehabilitation centre. "You can even continue with your studies there if you can afford a private tutor." Which they could. "Thirty days is the minimum amount of time spent there and they also welcome those who are suffering with mental disorders as long as they are not too extreme."

She frowned, biting her lip. It _did_ sound good, but thirty days was a long time.

Noticing the look in her eyes, Gaara gave her a gentle smile and reached out for her left hand, entwining their fingers. "I will wait for you, Sakura. Like I said before, we will get through this together."

"The funerals…"

His eyes saddened. Sakura was probably thinking that she would miss her parents' funerals and there was no gentle way to explain to her what was happening. No matter how hard he tried, Gaara just could not find words that would not seem so harsh or professional. "Their bodies are not being released just yet, Sakura." he stated, giving her hand a comforting squeeze. "Shisui confirmed it earlier to Itachi. They wish to give more thorough autopsies."

The shock on her face, the pain, had his heart clenching. "My dad…?"

He sighed. It seemed nobody had informed Sakura of the news. "His death is being considered as suspicious."

"H–How?" Sakura demanded, her eyebrows knitting together angrily. "He had a heart attack!"

"There are many poisons that can cause the symptoms of a heart attack." he replied patiently, understanding her anger and the fact that she may not possibly understand what he was trying to tell her. That wouldn't be surprising. Denial was always a part of the 'healing process' – or so one of Sakura's psychology books had once stated. "Also, that is not taking into account that you were sent a letter soon after."

In his hand, Sakura's began shaking and he watched as certain muscles in her body tensed, as her throat tightened as though she was trying to swallow. She was craving a drink. Yes, Sakura had told him all about her new – well, hardly new since she had been rather dependent on alcohol before – dependency on alcohol. Just earlier, not even an hour ago, her hand had been trembling so badly that it brought her to tears, because Sakura had been trying to write her name onto a form that needed her signature.

Frowning in confusion, it took Sakura a couple of moments to remember what he was talking about, but once she had her eyes were wide and her face deathly pale. "Ao nearly died!" she breathed, tears filling her eyes. "There was a snake… It… It went to bite his neck…"

Gaara soothed her silently and pulled her closer, his heart feeling a little lighter because of the fact that he could do so. "It will take a lot to bring Ao down." he comforted her, pressing a gentle kiss to her temple. "Knowing him, he would have been preparing to pounce right at the last second. You know he enjoys sneak attacks more than any other."

Sakura couldn't help but chuckle, remembering the times when Ao had sneaked up on Gaara before pouncing. Sounded impossible due to how big he was, but if you weren't expecting him and were lost in your thoughts, then you'd be in for a scare. Ao loved making Gaara jump, as it was rare for such a thing to happen. No matter how hard she tried, Sakura just couldn't scare him! But Ao could and he did so proudly.

"Gaara, while I'm gone…"

She didn't even need to finish her sentence for him to know what she was asking. He smiled. "I will collect Ao and bring him home."

Honestly, Gaara hadn't only missed Sakura. He'd missed Ao as well. This was just as much the dog's home as it was theirs. It would make the separation more bearable if Gaara had Ao staying in the condo with him. At least that way it wouldn't be so lonely.

"You can't leave him alone, Gaara." Sakura told him suddenly, kneeling up by his side. "Your work schedule is crazy – he can't be alone for so long. And you need to remember to feed him twice a day! Little scraps from your plate is okay, too, just nothing that will upset his stomach. I don't like it when he's ill. He looks so sad and lost. Oh! And you have to take him out as many times as you can. Sure, he can go to the bathroom on the balcony as long as you clean–"

"Sakura," Gaara smiled and brought her closer, loving how she was so very accepting of him once more, "I already know all of this."

She sighed and pressed her forehead to his. "I know, I know. I'm just… He's been sad these past few weeks. Ao's really attached to you."

In a way, they felt like parents. Was that strange? Was it odd for them to feel like parents to a dog? Most likely. That didn't stop them from feeling that way, though. It didn't stop either of them from secretly thinking of Ao as their child. He was Sakura's best friend and understood her pain so well that it was heartbreaking, whilst he was also the reason Sakura was still alive, meaning Gaara respected him greatly. He also considered Ao as his friend.

"It will be nice to have him home."

A bright smile was sent his way before Sakura kissed him chastely, stroking his cheek with her thumb. "I'm so sorry for leaving and causing you so much upset and stress." she whispered when they parted, pressing her forehead to his again. "I should have… stayed and_ not _push you away. We should've spoken–"

"What's done is done. It cannot be changed and we shouldn't focus so much on the past. What matters now is that you're home, Ao will be coming home and when you get out of rehab, we will both look after you." she nodded and he gave her thigh a gentle squeeze. "Things will go back to normal soon, Sakura."

Except for one thing. Her parents would no longer be there. They wouldn't be calling by every so often to check up on them both. Mebuki wouldn't be sneaking into the condo to make sure they had a fully stocked kitchen and their home was clean. Kazashi wouldn't be popping by to invite Gaara out for a manly game of poker and a few beers – even though Gaara did not like alcohol, he still enjoyed when they went out.

The pain in her eyes was so obvious that he hadn't even needed to look. "I will ask for them to hold onto your parents until you are out." he told her softly. "Then, it can be a joint funeral."

Together forever. Sakura closed her eyes and sighed. Even though it sounded pleasant eternally being with your other half, it still hurt. It hurt so bad. They shouldn't be being buried. They should be going on their umpteenth honeymoon! Clearly, the man upstairs had other plans for her parents and despite Sakura not being all that religious, she hoped with all of her heart that they would both be allowed into heaven where they could stay together. They were nice people, so caring and selfless. They deserved nothing less than a perfect heaven and spending eternity together – like an eternal honeymoon.

"It still hasn't truly hit me." Sakura whispered. "I'm sad, but… I don't know. I don't know how to explain what I'm feeling." And it would only get worse from then, wouldn't it? Her lip trembled. "I'm scared for when it suddenly hits me that they're not coming back."

"I'll be here when it does." It sounded so cheesy and cliché in Gaara's mind, but the words were the truth. He _would_ be there for her. Every moment of every day.

Those words seemed to comfort her greatly as Sakura suddenly nodded and said, "That rehab… You said they'd be able to handle someone with mental illnesses there?"

He sat up straighter and shifted his laptop ever so slightly, angling it so that Sakura could see the screen more clearly. "Yes. They have specialists there and also, I can arrange for them to allow your sessions with Tsunade to continue – which then leads to continuing with your studies. I want you to keep doing what you do best, Sakura. So would your parents. They'd want you to keep to your studies, to work hard and achieve everything you want."

She swallowed hard and nodded once more. "…Yeah, they would."

For them. She would continue fighting for them.

Grabbing his laptop, Sakura picked it up and placed it down onto the coffee table before moving closer to him, surprising Gaara as she buried her face into his neck and held him tightly. Just as he was about to ask what was the matter, however, she began speaking.

"Before leaving… I know I'd been coming off as clingy…" Sakura whispered into the crook of Gaara's neck as he returned her hold. "I'm just scared. I love you and I'm scared that you might find somebody better than me. Somebody who isn't… who isn't as troubled or as… touched… as I am."

"Sakura–"

She shook her head softly and pulled back so that she was looking at him. "Just hear me out." Sakura told him quietly before clearing her throat. It was almost ridiculous how nervous she was with telling Gaara these things. "You promised you'd always be there for me and even though I'm not going to hold you to that," she glared at him when Gaara looked ready to argue, "Gaara, I'm a selfish person. I'm not going to let you go so easily, not after everything we've been through together.

"You've helped me through some really dark times and even when I'm the moodiest person in the world, you still stand by me." tears filled her eyes, but Sakura pushed them away. "I'm scared of losing you as my fiancé, but I'm even more scared of losing our friendship. I don't want to lose you, I can't." she closed her eyes, sighing. "I get jealous of the little things because it was the same little things that got us to where we are today."

Gaara pulled Sakura against him, not even giving her the time to look up at him as he pressed a tender kiss to her temple, breathing deeply once he had. "Nothing has ever been 'little' between us. If it had been, I would probably still be the same person I was in high school."

Nodding quickly and biting her lip, Sakura tried to ignore the pounding of her heart, the shaking of her hands. Whether it was because she needed another drink or because of how scared she was, she'd never know.

"There's something you need to see." she whispered, her heart thundering away in her chest as she once again sat up, tugging on the ends of her shirt.

Gaara felt his entire body tense, felt his heart ache terribly. This was what Kankuro had been talking about. Had Sakura harmed herself? Before he could even realise what he was doing, Gaara was gently taking her hands in his, slowly slipping the right sleeve up, only for shock to replace his growing unease.

"You covered your scar." he stated blankly.

"Both of them." Sakura's voice was still a whisper and noticing the pain in her voice, the fear in her body language, his eyes narrowed a fraction. "I was… I was drunk when I got them done – it's no excuse, but I don't even remember it. All I can remember is waking up a–and seeing them and–"

Strong. That was what the kanji on her right wrist read.

Gaara couldn't even deny that his hands shook ever so slightly as he lifted the other sleeve, forcing Sakura to cut herself off.

Love.

Sakura had the kanji for love on her wrist, just like he had it on his forehead.

He wasn't entirely sure how to feel about that.

Unlike how his was red (Gaara didn't know how the hell that had happened, as it certainly wasn't a tattoo and was in fact a scar), hers was black. Altogether, if you put her wrists side by side as he currently was, it read 'strong love'. Strong love. Their love definitely was strong. And in his eyes, despite everything, Sakura was also strong and so very full of love. He simply… How was Gaara supposed to respond to that?

"I'm so sorry." Sakura told him, her voice sounding slightly whiny due to her trying desperately to hold back her sobs. "I'm so, _so_ sorry!"

"No." Gaara frowned, stopping her as Sakura attempted to pull her hands back to herself and cover her wrists. "I'm… I'm not sure how to feel about this but…" he paused. "I don't hate it."

"Y–You don't?"

"No."

"Why?"

A small smile pulled at his lips for a moment. "It has meaning. I don't know what made you choose _that_ kanji, but it has meaning. Stop worrying so much," Gaara gave her another small smile and pulled her closer, kissing her softly, "I'm not angry. Maybe a little shocked, but not angry or upset."

He had no right to be angry with her after what he had done.

Burying her face into his shoulder, Sakura breathed in shakily, his scent relaxing her. "I thought… I thought you'd hate me." his silence told her to continue. "I thought… No, I _know_ that doing this tramples on how much your scar…" she shook her head. "I was so worried…"

"Calm down, Sakura." Gaara sighed, running his hand through her hair softly. "I am not angry with you and I certainly don't hate you." he paused for a moment, glancing down at the tattoos once more. "You are supposed to apply some sort of cream to those, by the way."

She frowned and pulled back. "Huh?"

"To stop the tattoos from tightening and also to prevent itching. You are supposed to apply a cream to them. Did you not get any from the tattoo artist?"

Thinking back to the night before was difficult and once she had, Sakura paled. "Oh shit."

"What is it?"

"I forgot about Moegi!"

Moegi? Who–

Gaara deadpanned. "You went out drinking with a child?"

It made her feel like such a terrible person, especially with how his voice sounded. It was filled with obvious disapproval. "I–I know I shouldn't have." Sakura told him, though said it as she got up and made her way over to her handbag. It took her a couple of moments to find her phone and once she had, she quickly scrolled through her contacts for Moegi's name. "She was the only one who didn't know."

Whilst that may be true, it definitely did not make it right. "Call her and make sure she got home safely."

She felt like a scolded child. "I am!" she snapped in reply, pressing the name and holding the phone to her ear.

It rang several times.

"_Moshi, moshi_." a tired voice groaned on the other end, making Sakura sigh with relief.

"Moegi! You're okay? You got home okay, didn't you?"

"_Yeah, yeah._" she mumbled. "_Just remind me never to try and take you on in a drinking competition again. My head is killing me!"_

Drinking competition? "I take it I won?" Sakura smirked, sitting down beside Gaara once more. "You should drink plenty of water and try to eat something."

Another groan. "_Don't. I've only just managed to stop being sick_."

Yeah, Sakura had been that way when she first started drinking. Every morning afterwards, the hangover was dreadful and almost enough to put her off of drinking altogether. Over time it got easier to handle, though. No longer did Sakura spend entire days recovering and throwing up repeatedly. No, she recovered from hangovers fairly quickly as long as she ate something before starting to sober up.

"Sleep it off, then." Sakura told her sympathetically.

"_Already on it_." she mumbled tiredly, yawning a second later. "_I'll text you later. I need to sleep_."

Smirking, Sakura shook her head. "Okay. Make sure you don't go eating any greasy double cheeseburgers with extra cheese and onions."

A groan. "_I fucking hate you_."

With that, Moegi hung up.

Locking her phone, she placed it down onto the coffee table beside Gaara's laptop. "I need you to do me a favour." when Gaara's curious expression met her, she sighed. "I need you to reply to any texts from Moegi that I get tonight."

He raised a brow. "You're ready for rehab?"

"You'll be waiting when I get out?"

It pained him how it was a question, like she was doubting him. Gaara knew that he deserved it, though, and it only made him more determined to earn back her trust. "Always."

"I'm ready." Sakura whispered to him though her hold on Gaara said otherwise.

* * *

"You wanted to see me, Shisui–taichou?"

"You will be going undercover."

The brunet looked up, his eyes narrowing a fraction. It had been a while since his last undercover mission, although that certainly didn't mean that his skills were rusty or lacking. No, he was smart enough to keep them sharp and refined. "Undercover?"

Shisui nodded once, turning away from the window and facing him with his usual, empty expression. "Last night, a nineteen year old woman, Haruno Sakura, was admitted into a rehab facility. This morning her fiancé, Sabaku Gaara, thought it would be best to give me this information – and I agree with him. However, I want you to go to that rehab facility undercover and watch over Sakura."

His dark eyes narrowed further. "If I may, taichou, but isn't this girl a personal fr–"

"That does not matter." There was no change in his voice, but the hardening of Uchiha Shisui's eyes would be enough to scare even the toughest of guys at the station. It meant he was deadly serious and you were not to question him. "Tell me, Tenzo–san, how many times have I been wrong when following my gut instinct?"

It took everything to hide his grimace. "Never, taichou."

He nodded once, raising his eyebrow a fraction. "And tell me if I'm wrong, but in our line of work, we must always follow our gut instinct, correct?"

"Correct, taichou."

Again, Shisui nodded, not seeming to notice that he was intimidating one of the least likely to be scared, so easily. Nothing scared Tenzo – he scared others. With just a single look, he could have the other men cowering in fear and squirming with unease. To be able to intimidate the man was no easy feat, yet Shisui could do it effortlessly. "You are the only one in our force that Sakura will not recognise, giving that you are always undercover or working in the shadows and only transferred here a year ago."

Tenzo nodded once, though paused for a second before asking, "What does your gut instinct tell you, taichou?"

"It tells me that Haruno Sakura is in danger." he stated simply, folding his arms over his chest and leaning back against the side of his desk. He was gazing out of the window, but Tenzo was certain that it was so he couldn't see the Uchiha's expression. "Haruno Mebuki, before her death, had been writing a message on the door of her bathroom, telling whoever found it that they must '_Save Sakura_', so clearly whoever attacked Sakura's mother, had made some sort of warning, or given some message, that they would soon be coming after Sakura."

No matter how badly he tried to hide it, Tenzo noticed the way Shisui's fists clenched at the mentioning of Haruno Mebuki's death. It made him wonder how close the families were, as nobody really saw any other side of Uchiha Shisui than the cold, calculating captain who was always fiercely in control of his emotions. "Her mother's death–"

There was a split second where Shisui's teeth gritted, but not even a fraction of a second later and he was back to his emotionless mask. "Was at the hands of one of Orochimaru's lackeys." he noticed Tenzo tense and Shisui nodded once. "And so you see why we must protect Sakura."

Now he could remember everything. All of the news reports, the trials, the searches. Tenzo could remember everything so clearly that it made him burn with anger, made him see red. A young, innocent girl had been sexually assaulted in the woods opposite her home, but no, that wasn't enough for those vile bastards. They had then gone on to holding the poor girl hostage, forcing her into prostitution and pumping her body with drugs, supplying her with so much alcohol that she began blacking out. But still. _That was not enough_. They came back for her. Broke into her home. Once again held her and several others hostage. They had shot a boy, Sabaku Gaara, who had attempted to save her – an act of bravery that would never be forgotten by Tenzo, for it took a lot to jump in front of a bullet for somebody.

"I understand." Tenzo nodded once more, straightening up and giving his taichou a serious look. "I will protect Haruno Sakura, Shisui–taichou."

And it seemed like his captain aged five years in a single look as he glanced over at Tenzo. "Thank you." He couldn't stand to lose anyone else. "Here are her files and everything you need to know about Sakura. Just know that if she suspects anything, back off, because she _will_ lash out." Many times Shisui had been on the receiving end of her violence and sometimes, her glares and words were just as harsh. "The head of the clinic knows that you will be undercover, but everyone else will not. Keep it that way."

His eyes narrowed as he skimmed through the must–knows after accepting the folder from Shisui. "I may be speaking out of place, but–"

Already knowing what he was about to say, Shisui cut Tenzo off. "The last time Sakura was admitted to Konoha Psychiatric Hospital, it traumatised her. Tsunade–sama suggested that this would be best for Sakura and Gaara–kun has made sure to take her to the best place he could find, whilst keeping her as close to home as possible."

"Traumatised? But don't patients go there to receive help, to get better?"

Shisui sighed and moved around his desk, sitting down. "When Sakura was last there, she kept the fact that she was raped a secret. It shouldn't have made much of a difference in her treatment, but it did. I was informed that if Sakura had spoken up sooner, the way they treated her for her suicidal tendencies and wishing to harm herself would have been different."

Once again, his eyes were narrowing. "Different? How so? I'm no expert in psychiatry or psychology, but surely there isn't that much of a difference to make her experience there traumatising?"

"Solitary confinement. Tying her down. Keeping watch over her _whilst_ she was tied down. Daily body searches." Tenzo's eyes widened a fraction. "Sakura is a very sociable girl – woman, now – and has always disliked and feared being alone. The solitary confinement was what traumatised her the most. And I'm sure I don't have to explain why being tied down with people watching her as well as daily body searches, scared her."

He shook his head. Honestly, Tenzo thought the girl was unbelievably brave for going through that without saying a word – but then again, he didn't know her yet. He hadn't been there to witness her reactions. He had yet to read through her files. Both personal and medical files. The one about her time in Konoha Psychiatric Hospital was the thickest of them all. At least an inch thick. Never mind. If, by doing this, he managed to save the young girl of experiencing any more suffering or pain, then he'd do it.

"I will read through her files tonight." Tenzo nodded once more. "Where is she staying and when do I start?"

"Everything you need to know will be inside of that folder." the captain gave him a serious look, one that practically screamed that he was to keep every piece of information to himself as well as where Sakura was staying. "And you start immediately. You may not need it, but there is a picture of Haruno Sakura with her friends in that file. If anyone other than those on that picture attempt to get in touch with her, do not allow it and tell me immediately."

Again, Tenzo nodded. "Yes, sir."

* * *

**A/N - Thought you all deserved this chapter!**


	16. Yamato

**Chapter 16 – Yamato**

It wasn't too bad here, she supposed, looking around the lounge area.

It was surprisingly open and bright – nothing like the hospital. That had actually been the first thing Sakura commented on to Gaara when he dropped her off and signed the papers. Instead of dull whites and greys, this place had beautiful sky blues and relaxing creams. There was carpet! Not the cheap, scratchy kind that started to smell after a short while, but the nice kind. It looked like it would be heaven to her feet.

She sighed and leaned back into the soft cushions of the sofa. Despite how calming and relaxing this place was, Sakura had been unable to sleep the night before and her body was aching from lack of alcohol. Detoxing was always a nasty phase, thankfully, however, this was nowhere near as bad as what it could have been. The reason behind her not sleeping wasn't only because of no alcohol, but also because of sleeping alone. Sakura hadn't done that in a long while. She either had Gaara or Ao sleeping beside her. In this place, she had neither of them. It was difficult to get used to that feeling of sleeping alone.

The scenery out of the large window she was looking out of was beautiful. Behind the rehab centre was a beautiful forest that was bursting with life and colour. It didn't bring back awful memories like the woods opposite her family home. It made Sakura feel free and at peace, whilst those woods made her feel trapped.

Parting with Gaara had been difficult. After being separated for so long, it hurt parting from him once more. However, the promise he made to her, of waiting until she got out of rehab, kept Sakura strong. It made her determined to get through the pain and the sleepless nights. That way, the sooner she got better, the sooner she could go home to her boys, her protectors. Gaara and Ao.

The sound of the door opening had Sakura glancing over her shoulder, wondering who would be up at such a time. It was one of the workers. It was only around half five in the morning. Whilst at other rehab centres where you had to be in bed by a certain time, this one allowed you to wander around within limits.

He was nothing special, she decided after a moment and turned back to the scenery, finding it more interested. He had the sort of face that was easy to forget as it was average. Everything about him was average, actually. Short, spiky brown hair, dark eyes, olive toned complexion.

"Haruno Sakura?"

So he had sought her out? "Yes?"

Seeing that she would not be turning away from the sight before her, the man moved around the large sofa and sat across from her, giving a smile. "Sorry for interrupting you, but I was informed that you could not sleep last night?"

"Mm."

"Well, since I am naturally an early riser, I thought I would come and get to know you better."

Finally, Sakura looked over at him, her eyes narrowing suspiciously and warily. "Get to know me?"

"Yes. Like what your likes and dislikes are. Things such as those."

Her likes and dislikes? That was a tough question. There were a lot of things that Sakura enjoyed and many more that she disliked. "Music." she answered after a pause. "It helps me relax. And difficult puzzles. They confuse me and often frustrate me, but they take my mind off of everything else. My dislikes are…" she shrugged, not really in the mood to tell him her fears. That was basically all her dislikes were. Her fears. "And yours? Uh…"

The brunet smiled and gave a single chuckle. "That's right. I forgot to tell you my name, didn't I? Sorry about that. My name's Yamato. Aside from your personal psychiatrist, which is Tsunade–sama I believe, I will be your personal nurse. If you need anything, you are to come straight to me."

Yamato. That was a name she'd never heard before. Sakura doubted that she'd hear it again, either.

"And where would I find you if it's an emergency?"

He paused for a moment, thinking. "I shouldn't be too far from you. Right now, you are my only patient."

Only patient? Sakura's eyes narrowed. "Why am I your only patient?"

"We're not very busy right now, are we?"

That was true… but it still made Sakura uncomfortable knowing that he only had one patient. Was he not qualified? Wasn't he skilled enough to take on more than one at a time? Was he new at this? Or was he only for her because of how many problems she had? Sakura sighed. She had to stop those paranoid thoughts.

"So, aside from music and puzzles, what else do you like?"

Not this again. She almost groaned. It felt like she was in school once more! "I like watching television shows and movies." Sakura shrugged, trying her best not to let her annoyance show. "And walking my dog."

Yamato gave her a smile. "A dog, huh? What's his name?"

She returned his smile, always feeling happy when she spoke about Ao. "Ao. He's a rottweiler and comes to about," Sakura stood up and lifted her hand to just above her hip, "here."

It pleased her greatly to see the stunned and impressed look on Yamato's face. "Ah, I think I know who you are talking about. He was on the news, was he not?" Sakura tensed, but nodded quickly and sat back down, shifting her blanket over herself. One of the night nurses had given it to her so that she wouldn't get cold. "Ao." Yamato said thoughtfully. "Yeah, I have definitely heard of him before! He saved you, didn't he?" again, Sakura nodded and noticing how uncomfortable she was, he gave her a gentle smile. "You're lucky to have a dog such as Ao, Sakura. He must love you dearly to be so protective of you."

His words brought a small smile to her lips, though with her next words, her smile slipped away. "He was abused by his previous owners and abandoned, left to die." It always pained her when Sakura thought back on the story of how Ao had ended up at the Inuzuka home. "Inuzuka Kiba found him one day, took him to his mother's kennels and brought him back to full health. But nobody wanted to adopt him. They all want cute little puppies." her eyebrows knitted together angrily, but soon smoothed out into a smile. "And then Kiba brought Ao to me, saying we'd be great companions because we're both victims of abuse. Since then, Ao and I have been inseparable." she paused. "Except for now. This is going to be the longest I've been away from him."

Another gentle smile was sent her way. "I am sure your fiancé will take good care of him."

Yes, Gaara would take good care of Ao. He'd most likely spoil the dog in his own way later on in the day, his own way of celebrating having him home. Sakura felt so guilty for taking Ao away from Gaara. It was, in a strange way, like taking a child from its father. It was a horrible feeling and Sakura hoped that that would never actually happen.

"Gaara–kun has made sure to keep this out of the press," Yamato told her suddenly, flipping a page in a notebook that she hadn't even seen, "to keep your treatment here private. It is to–"

"Make me feel more comfortable." Sakura smiled softly. That man…

God, she missed him.

"Exactly." the brunette nodded with a smile. "He also made sure to leave a list of emergency contacts and gave a list of names. Anyone other than those few cannot come and see you. Is this correct?"

Well, this was the first she was hearing about it. "Who's on the list?"

"Uh…" he blushed lightly. "You will have to bear with me." he chuckled, skimming over the notes that had been made. "I'm new to all of this. Until recently, I had been studying law."

Sakura raised an eyebrow. So he _was_ new to all of this. She wasn't sure how to feel about that. "Law? What made you change?"

Yamato shrugged and gave her a small smile. "Many things. I just think that I'd be able to do more good whilst working here, instead of defending a murderer or something of the sort in court." before Sakura could ask any more questions, he tapped the notebook. "Found it. The list consists of himself, Uchiha Itachi, Sasuke and Shisui, Uzumaki Naruto, Yamanaka Ino and Senju Tsunade."

What about Hinata? Sai? Kakashi? What about her other friends?

Seeing her confusion, he sighed. "There are certain rules here, Sakura. We usually don't allow visitors at all, since this a place where people come to be treated. Some believe that it is best to be treated in near–solitude," her eyes widened, "however, given your history, we decided that it would be best to go with Gaara–kun's idea, although only a certain amount of people were allowed on the list. He made sure to include everyone who knows you best."

"And… Do I have any visitors coming at all today?"

Nodding once, he gave her a smile. "Two, actually. Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto."

Naruto! Oh it had been so long since Sakura had last seen him. Of course he had stopped by during the past couple of weeks, but the visits had always been rather short, as he was surprisingly busy. Doing what? Well, Naruto got the idea into his head that he wanted Sarutobi Hiruzen's job as headmaster of Konoha High. It was crazy, but who was she to judge? At least it was better than his last dream. Naruto had wanted to be partners with Teuchi, though would have settled working alongside of the man like his daughter, Ayame, did. Who was Teuchi? He was the ramen guy. He owned Ramen Ichiraku.

A smile brightened her features. She couldn't wait to see Naruto again! "What about Gaara?"

Yamato flipped another page. "Oh, you have four visitors today. Sorry about that – we really need bigger notebooks." he chuckled. "Yes, Gaara–kun will be coming to see you."

She frowned. "And the last visitor?"

"Uchiha Itachi."

Itachi! "Are they all at different times?"

He went back to the previous page, reading its contents quickly. "Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto will be here at noon." Yamato once again turned the page. "Uchiha Itachi will be here at three, whilst Gaara–kun will be here at six."

So she could have visitors every three hours? Sakura made a mental note of that. When signing in, she hadn't been aware of the fact that she could actually have visitors. In movies that Sakura had watched, when the characters were in rehab, they weren't allowed any contact with the outside world until they left and were finished with their treatment. Yamato had stated something similar to that, too.

"Your fiancé also informed the clinic that you enjoy exercising." Sakura nodded. "We have a gym that is, personally speaking, one of the best I've seen in a while. Oh and there is a running track just in front of the forest, though Gaara–kun stated that you may not feel all too comfortable being near it. He said from a distance, you'll enjoy the view, but up close will bring you painful memories."

Gaara knew her so well. It made her feel so guilty for all of the pain and stress she had been causing these past weeks. "…Yeah."

There was no rolling of his eyes or some sly remark like Sakura's mind was telling her there would be. Instead, Yamato nodded understandingly and stood up. "Well, how about some early morning exercise? The cafeteria doesn't open until seven, although I believe we could talk the chef into sneaking us in early. You dislike overly large crowds, right?"

"It depends on my mood." she answered truthfully, standing up and folding the blanket she had been given carefully, making sure all corners matched up. Anything less was not acceptable. It had to be perfect. "If there is something to take my mind off of the crowds, I don't mind them. If there isn't, then…" Sakura shrugged and placed the blanket onto the back of the sofa.

"I understand." Yamato told her and with a gesture of his head, they left the lounge. "If you ever feel as though you're being overcrowded here, just tell me. I'm sure I can arrange for something more comfortable."

It didn't seem that bad so far, but then again, Sakura had arrived late last night.

Anything could happen in thirty days.

* * *

"Man, that drive!"

Sakura's eyes widened as she dropped her book and turned around, not sure if she should believe the sight before her, because right at that moment in time, Yamato was allowing Sasuke and Naruto entrance to the room.

"It wasn't that bad." Sasuke rolled his eyes and shoved his hands in his pockets, looking around warily. A second later, he spotted Sakura and made his way over to her, leaving Naruto behind. "Sakura."

"Sakura–chan!"

She didn't even have the time to stand up before Naruto suddenly appeared out of nowhere, wrapping his arms around her tightly in a bear hug. Any oxygen that was in her lungs was squeezed out of her.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "Careful, idiot."

It seemed to knock some sense into Naruto, as he immediately loosened his hold and stared down at her intensely. "You okay, Sakura–chan? You look all thin and ill and–"

"Don't even continue with that sentence!" she snapped in return, already knowing how terrible her appearance was. There was no makeup in rehab. No hair straighteners or dryers. To make matters worse, because of her lack of food and focusing all on drinking, Sakura's skin wasn't as soft and blemish–free as it usually was. "I know I look bad, okay?"

"You don't." Sasuke rolled his eyes again and looked over his shoulder suspiciously. "Is he your nurse?"

Sakura glanced over at Yamato, who was sitting quietly at a table and going over some type of file. Even though he looked as though he was focusing entirely on that file, it was obvious he was keeping an eye on the three of them. It was in the way he tensed ever so slightly at Sasuke's question.

"Yeah. His name is Yamato and he's my personal nurse here. A little like Tsunade–sama, I think." Sakura mumbled before sitting back down on the sofa, patting the space beside her. It was amusing seeing Naruto pushing Sasuke away just to sit next to her, although it had to be even funnier seeing the Uchiha grabbing the back of Naruto's shirt and tossing him to the ground, taking the seat without a word. "So–"

"How long are you here for?" Sasuke asked curiously, once more glancing around him.

He'd admit that yes, it was nice here and it seemed like a relaxing and peaceful place to be, but… He wasn't too sure on it. Something about the place made him uncomfortable. And that Yamato guy. Sasuke was certain he had seen him somewhere before! But where could he have seen him? Until today, Sasuke had never been here before – he'd never been to any rehab centre before!

It was Yamato who answered Sasuke's question, noticing how Sakura shrugged unsurely. "The minimum stay here is thirty days. How long Sakura will be staying here for depends on how well her treatment is going."

That voice. That face. It was all familiar to Sasuke but he just couldn't put his finger on why! "Yamato, right?" the brunet nodded once. "Have I seen you before?"

Unnoticeably, Yamato tensed but gave Sasuke a smile. "You may have, although I'm not too sure. Before this, I studied law. Have you ever been in court?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed. That was a stupid question, given the fact that he was Sakura's friend. Of course he had been in court! He was there throughout the entire trial. He was there the day they began, right through to the day when all of those bastards were finally sentenced. It was all over the news and they had all been photographed entering and leaving the courts many times.

However, noticing a certain look in those dark eyes, noticing a faint tap against a file, Sasuke's features emptied. His fingers were bent slightly. That was a hand sign for something. He thought back, remembering everything Itachi had taught him and once he remembered, it took a lot for Sasuke not to show his shock.

Yamato was undercover.

Shisui. This had Shisui all over it.

Instead of being angry, however, Sasuke felt relieved. If Shisui had personally picked Yamato (if that was even his real name) to watch over Sakura, then that meant he was the best. Not just one of the best, but _the best_.

"That's probably what it is." he murmured in reply, nodding once and pretending to accept the answer. Turning back around and facing Sakura and Naruto, Sasuke found that they didn't suspect a thing. That was good. If Sakura knew that Yamato was an undercover officer, then she would lash out. Actually there was no telling what she would do right now in such a weakened state. It might even be the final push, for all they knew. "Have you eaten?"

Sakura gave him a smile that Naruto couldn't understand properly, making him pout. "I've eaten, Sasuke. Don't worry! Yamato made sure that I ate pretty much everything on my plate this morning."

Said man chuckled from his place at the small table near the back. "You were rather hungry, Sakura. I was merely making sure your body got all the nutritions and proteins it needed after such a workout."

"Workout?" Naruto asked, giving her a hopeful smile. "You're still working out?"

"Yeah." she nodded. It made her feel safer, though recently, Sakura just hadn't had the time. "Sasuke, is Ao…?"

"Gaara picked him up last night." he grunted. "And he told Itachi and I that you were brought here to receive professional help. That you were willing."

Hearing the unspoken question in his voice, the demand, Sakura smiled. "I was – _am_. This was partly my choice as well as Gaara's, Sasuke. I need this. I need to get better. Anyway," she quickly changed the subject, smiling over at Naruto, "how's Hinata? She hasn't been put on the list because I'm only allowed to have a certain amount of people come and visit me – please let her know that."

It took Naruto a couple of moments for her words to sink into his mind, due to her having said them so quickly. A part of him wanted to ask her to slow down a little, but the discreet look Sasuke shot his way silenced him. Yeah, it wouldn't be fair of him to ask that, would it? It wasn't like Sakura could control her mind. Hell, sometimes even Naruto spoke quickly because of how excited he got! So, he pretended that that was why she was talking so quickly, because she was excited about seeing him.

"She's fine!" Naruto answered with a large grin. "Her dad still doesn't like me that much, but Neji's stopped glaring at me now! Hinata said that's a good thing. It'll only be a short while before Hiashi caves in and accepts me. She said it's my appearance or something. I look a little too casual, I think."

That was nice. "It's not that you look casual, Naruto." she told him patiently and reached up, poking the whiskers on one of his cheeks. "It's because of these. Hiashi doesn't agree with tattoos. Last year at the Hyuuga dinner party, he didn't approve of Gaara for the same reason."

He frowned in confusion. "You mean the kanji on his forehead? I thought that was a s–"

"Nope." Sakura cut him off, giving him a meaningful look. It warmed her heart how Gaara had opened up to Naruto, though. He trusted the blond and she knew how difficult it was for him to give out that trust. If you had it, it meant he thought highly of you. "Just a tattoo."

Thankfully, Naruto caught on. "Oh yeah. I think I'm getting him mixed up with someone else. Scars aren't red, are they?" Sakura shook her head with a tight smile, her fists clenching and tugging down the sleeves of her shirt at the same time. "Oh! That reminds me. Gaara told me that you got tattoos. Can we see them?"

Sasuke raised a brow. "I was meaning to ask you about them yesterday."

She blushed and fidgeted with her sleeves. "They're nothing too special…"

"C'mon, Sakura–chan!" Naruto grinned supportively, taking a hold of her hand and squeezing it softly. "You know we're not bothered by your scars! I just want to see how cool your tattoos are! Did you get them done by that guy?"

"Yeah…" Sakura bit her lip and raised her sleeves, averting her eyes as Naruto gasped and gently grasped her wrist, twirling it this way and that to look at the kanji. "He remembers you both, by the way. You," she nodded at Naruto, who glanced up curiously, "because he did your tattoos. And you," Sasuke scowled at her next words, "because you threw up in the sink at his shop."

Naruto couldn't help but laugh loudly. "Wow, Sasuke. I always thought you could handle your drink!"

Just as Sasuke was about to speak, Sakura came to his defence. "Like you can talk! You were always completely wasted or close to passing out by the time Sasuke got drunk."

"Yeah well I can handle it better now!"

"And you're saying I can't?" Sasuke questioned, raising an eyebrow at the blond.

He scoffed, allowing Sasuke to take Sakura's wrist so that he could take a closer look at the tattoo. It seemed a little dry, like it was already starting to heal, but it was obvious Sakura was moisturising it to stop it from tightening and becoming itchy. There were traces of moisturiser left around it. The perfectionist in him demanded that he rubbed it in properly, so Sasuke did so without a word before releasing her wrist, ignoring how Sakura rolled her eyes at him and lowered her sleeves once more.

It surprised him that she didn't seem bothered by the fact he had just touched her scars. No, it hadn't been a lingering touch or a curious rub. Sasuke had simply gone over them, although his hand had paused for a fraction of a second when he realised where he was touching her, realised just what he was touching. Instead of making a fuss Sasuke had continued to properly rub the moisturiser in.

"You never used to be able to." Naruto retorted with a smirk. "I remember the first time we all got drunk! It was on holiday, remember? We were all by the pool and it took _ages_ to convince our parents to…" he trailed off, eyes snapping to Sakura's. "Sakura–chan, I'm–"

She shook her head with annoyance, though couldn't deny her heart was stinging viciously. "You don't need to apologise, Naruto. It's a good memory. I like remembering those times, when we were all together and happy. Everything seemed so simple back then, didn't it?" Sakura smiled softly to herself, getting lost in her thoughts and memories. "I remember my mom lecturing us all about the effects and whatnot of alcohol, and then your mom got involved too, Sasuke." he nodded silently. "I think Kushina–san was the only one who thought we were old enough to have our first drink."

Naruto grinned. "That was some strong stuff too, wasn't it? We were all wasted after one drink! I can remember Itachi and Shisui laughing at us – or laughing in their own way."

Yes, Sasuke could remember that too. It had been utterly humiliating the day after when the two continuously tormented him. Of course they picked on Sakura and Naruto, as well, but that was beside the point. There had been no hangover for him. He couldn't remember whether or not Naruto had one, but Sakura definitely had. She'd been completely useless the next day and couldn't stop throwing up. Sasuke could remember how Mebuki had taken care of her, sighing and saying something about a low tolerance for alcohol, saying something about her body being small and not used to it. There was then another lecture from his own mother, who had felt terrible for allowing the three kids to drink.

He didn't stay on the thought of Sakura drinking for too long and noticing how uncomfortable she was becoming, Sasuke changed the subject to something that did not involve a substance she was attempting to avoid and recover from. "Ino is planning your wedding."

Silence.

Suddenly, Naruto was nodding quickly, tugging on her hand. "Yeah! She had Hinata over at her place the other night _all night_, talking about dresses and bridesmaids and other wedding–y type of stuff."

Wedding? Sakura's brain had stopped at Sasuke's statement, not taking in Naruto's words as she focused entirely on the word 'wedding'. _Wedding_. That was right! She and Gaara were engaged, though they hadn't really set a date yet. They hadn't felt the need to straight away, wanting to get used to being engaged before rushing into marriage. Even though they were already certain on each other, it was simply a just in case.

So… Was it going to be a long engagement? How long would it last for? Six months? A year? Five years? Sakura didn't want to be the woman who was _always_ engaged, but never actually married. She wanted to walk down the aisle, she–

Tears filled her eyes as something suddenly slammed into her.

"My dad… he won't be walking me down the aisle." she whispered. "Neither of them will see me get married."

* * *

It had been rather emotional since the realisation of her parents not being there for her wedding. Sakura wasn't sure why she hadn't thought of it sooner. Perhaps it was the stress? It didn't matter. Whatever the reason, it did not take away the pain she was feeling. It _did_, however, make her realise something else, something that she had known for a while, but had simply not taken much notice of.

"You were close with my parents, right?" Sakura asked him, frowning softly as the pain in her heart increased. "Like, really close."

"Since I was four years old."

Sakura nodded, falling silent once more. Around an hour after arriving, she, Naruto and Sasuke had followed Yamato to the cafeteria to get their lunch. Yamato needed to stick with them because not a single one of them knew their way around. Not only that, but Naruto and Sasuke were visitors. Usually visitors were not allowed so they had to be watched. After eating, they had stayed another hour before reluctantly leaving, giving Sakura some time alone to get ready for her next visitor.

And right at that moment in time, she and Itachi were sat side by side in the field, feeling relaxed and at peace. Having Itachi by her side as they sat opposite the forest made her feel safer, kept those awful memories away. Sakura knew that Yamato was somewhere close by, but he seemed to be keeping to himself or giving them some time alone. She was grateful for that. It was like the brunet could pick up on her need to speak with Itachi privately.

"Is something wrong, Sakura?"

"Earlier…" she closed her eyes and sighed. "Sasuke told me that Ino is planning my wedding."

He paused for a moment before giving her a serious look. "Would you like for me to tell her–"

"No. It's not that." Sakura shook her head, opening her eyes once more and grabbing his hand, surprising Itachi ever so slightly by the contact. "I don't know when the wedding will be, but… I realised something important. My dad won't be walking me down the aisle."

"Sakura…" Itachi's eyes saddened at the look on her face and in a brotherly gesture, he put his arm around her shoulders and brought Sakura closer. "They will still be there with you when you marry Gaara–kun. They would not miss your wedding for anything, even if they are not there in body."

The thought made her smile. It was a little cheesy, but it was easing the pain in her heart slightly. Being there in spirit was better than not at all and Itachi was right, they would not miss her wedding for the world.

She bit her lip, feeling nervous. "I… I was wondering… If you'd maybe like to give me away?"

It was too soon to be asking somebody else to fill her father's place, she knew that and part of Sakura felt awful for it, but her mind was racing through idea after idea and all of them were great! She wanted to get them started as soon as possible and the moment she got out of rehab, Sakura was determined to speak with Gaara about possibly setting a date.

Oh, she'd really like a spring wedding. Not only was she born in the spring, but both Mebuki and Kazashi had loved it.

Itachi could only stare down at her.

Sakura smiled shyly, brushing a piece of hair behind her ear. "I know it's… I know it's wrong to… to ask you so soon after…"

"It's not too soon." Itachi told her quietly. Hope. Planning a wedding wouldn't only make her more determined to get better, to get back to her usual self, but it would also give her hope. It would help Sakura find her way through that dark place by giving her something to look forward to. Something to focus on. He gave her a smile. "I would be honoured to give you away in your father's place, Sakura." seeing her bottom lip tremble, he cupped her face softly, pushing the stray strands she had missed behind her ear. "He would be so very proud of how strong you are. They both would be."

"Strong…" she whispered, tears slipping down her cheeks. "I'm not strong, Itachi. I'm weak."

If she was strong, Sakura would not be in the position she was currently in. She would not be aching and craving alcohol. She wouldn't _not_ be taking her medication (which they had yet to ease her back onto, as they needed Tsunade). The list went on and on.

Itachi sighed and shook his head, tightening his one–armed hug. "In my eyes, you are one of the strongest women I have ever met and I know that your parents thought the same thing. You have been through so much, Sakura. You are allowed your moments of weakness. It is all a part of being human."

That didn't make her feel much better. Just knowing how weak she was right now and not only mentally, made Sakura feel sick. Earlier that morning whilst training with Yamato, she hadn't been able to keep up at all. After only ten minutes she had been panting and gasping, legs feeling like jelly, before Yamato finally ended their short session. It made her feel pathetic. And disgusting.

Her parents would definitely be ashamed of the state she was in.

Hell, if Sakura hadn't gone out the other night, if she had stayed in with Mebuki and Ao like she had originally planned to, maybe her mother would still be alive. Her room – the guest room – was right beside Mebuki's due to Sakura wanting to stay close to the woman, just in case she was needed.

So much for helping out.

Sakura bit her lip harshly and moved to closer to Itachi, dropping her face to his shoulder so that her hair would fall into her eyes, hiding her face. He understood and wrapped his other arm around her, silently holding and comforting Sakura as she cried.

A certain promise he had made to both Haruno Kazashi and Mebuki was still fresh in his mind – had been since he was four years old.

He would always be there for Sakura. She was just as much his sibling as Sasuke was.

* * *

"I wish you could stay here the night." Sakura whispered as the arms around her waist tightened, as a nose nuzzled against the back of her neck. "Or for the entirety of my stay."

He agreed wholeheartedly. However, "Somebody has to take care of Ao." Gaara told her quietly, rubbing her side affectionately. "He misses you."

Sakura smiled sadly and reached behind her, running her hand through his hair. "He missed you, too. I bet he was happy to see you, wasn't he?"

Yes, he had been. In fact Ao had knocked Gaara down the second he saw him – something he had always done to Sakura. After that, Ao hadn't left him alone for a single second and had whined and barked whenever Gaara went to the bathroom or out of the condo. The dog was being especially clingy lately and Gaara knew it was because Ao was feeling distressed. Itachi had told him about how Ao had been locked in the house on the night Mebuki died, trying to claw his way into the bathroom. Just how long had he been there for? How long had he been trying to get into the bathroom before Ao realised it was too late?

Gaara stayed with Ao as much as he possibly could, even going as far as to sneaking him into his office. Hardly sneaking considering the size of him, but keeping him on his harness and assuring his employees that Ao was a guard dog eased their minds a little. It also helped how he kept his office door shut. Why did he need a guard dog? Well, Gaara didn't, but his employees did not know that. Shisui had even cleared it for him, saying that Ao was to stay by Gaara's side for protection. Rumours had been circulating for the entire day but that hardly mattered. What mattered was that Gaara was keeping his promise to Sakura – he was not leaving Ao alone for long periods of time. Not including now, of course. But even then, Ao was not alone. Kankuro was with him.

"Yes." he sighed into her neck, eyes closed and feeling more relaxed than he had in quite a while. "We had steak last night."

"Ao loves steak." Sakura smiled warmly this time. "How's he doing?"

They had been given some privacy for their visitation and after greeting each other with hugs and kisses as well as eating dinner, they had ended up laying on their sides on the sofa, Gaara's body curled around her own and holding her in such a way that she felt safe, protected. She felt untouchable in Gaara's arms. Neither of them knew the rules of such things, but surely a little spooning wouldn't kill anybody? It certainly wouldn't kill her. Sakura needed this. To be comforted. Itachi had comforted her earlier, holding her whilst she cried. Now she just needed…

She just needed Gaara.

"He was whining when I left." Gaara told her truthfully when Sakura turned in his arms, now facing him. "But other than that, Ao is doing better. He just wants you to come home." he kissed her softly then, giving her a small smile. "We both do."

"I want to come home." was her reply. "First, though, I need to get better. Then, we could… We could maybe…"

He raised a brow, stroking her cheek and pushing the hair in her face behind her ear. "Maybe we could, what?"

"…Set a date?"

The hand in her hair paused, eyes widening a fraction, before Gaara was giving her another smile. He could see the same thing as Itachi, that this would bring her hope and something to look forward to, but unlike the Uchiha, Gaara knew that they had several problems they needed to sort out before getting married. "We will see how your treatment goes and once you return, if you still feel this way about our wedding, then we will choose whichever date you want. All I ask is that it's not too far away," he sighed, pressing his forehead to hers, "I want to tie myself to you in every way possible."

That sounded more than perfect to her.

* * *

**A/N - Hope none of you are getting frustrated or confused with the whole wedding planning thing! Sakura hasn't forgotten about what Gaara did with Matsuri.**

**Sorry I didn't update yesterday like I usually do! I had an exam, but then it got cancelled and then meh.**


	17. I Missed You

**Chapter 17 – I Missed You**

Rehab wasn't too bad. It certainly wasn't pretty but it could have been worse. It could have been Konoha Psychiatric Hospital. And there were so many people at the rehab centre who understood partly what she was going through. Hell, Sakura had made friends with a middle aged woman who was also there for alcohol dependency.

To make her focus more on getting better, after the first day of having visitors, the owner of the rehab centre had asked Sakura if she would want to try and go for the rest of her treatment without seeing or hearing from them. It had been painfully hard to do so, but the woman was right. It definitely helped. The thought of getting out of there, getting better and seeing her loved ones, was something Sakura held onto dearly.

Gaara had been given a final day to see her before they were separated once more.

She had sworn to him that the moment she got out, there would be no more separations. He'd kissed her so hard that she was breathless and left hungry for something more.

Having Yamato around was helpful. He was surprisingly easy to get on with and helped whip Sakura back into shape. Also, when not training or involved in group sessions, Sakura was with Tsunade, who had once again given up pretty much everything else to help her. Oh, Tsunade had been angry at first – downright furious, in fact – but she had eventually calmed down and spoke to her calmly, helping Sakura open up about the pains she was feeling. When she couldn't open up any more than what she had, the blonde taught her a lot about psychology, helping her make up for the work she had missed.

Three times Sakura had almost quit. Three times she had been so very close to calling Gaara and asking him to pick her up, telling him that she was done with the place. How did she get through that? By reminding herself that, if Sakura was to quit now, then she would be disappointing everyone. Her friends, Gaara, her parents and herself. That was not an option. _Failure_ was not an option.

Once more, her skin was unblemished and a more healthy colour (Shizune had been called at one point to check her over, to make sure there was no serious internal damage to her organs), though her hair could do with a deep treatment and a trim. Instead of thirty days, Sakura was at rehab for forty–seven. However, it was worth it. She felt rejuvenated. New. Fresh. A decent outfit would be nice, as right at that moment in time, she was wearing trainers, joggers and an oversized hoodie, but Sakura hardly paid any attention to that. Gaara had seen her looking much worse than how she currently looked.

"I'm going to miss you." Sakura smiled to Yamato, packing the last of her things.

Her room at rehab was small and simple with no unnecessary items yet at the same time, it was comforting and relaxing. They even played soft music to try and lull her to sleep and sometimes, it worked. It worked even better when they handed her one of Gaara's shirts, one that smelled strongly of him. That night had been difficult for several different reasons, though one in particular – she missed him so much. And yes, maybe she had cried herself to sleep that night, but Gaara's scent had comforted her greatly.

And today, after forty–seven days of being in rehab, Sakura was finally going home.

"I don't think I'll ever find a training partner as ferocious as yourself." he replied teasingly, folding his arms over his chest. "You're–"

"Freakishly strong." she finished with a smirk. "Or so I've been told."

Yes, Sakura would miss Yamato. He was a pretty fun guy once you got beyond the seriousness. Whilst he was pretty laid back, there was a hard edge to him that practically yelled "don't fuck with me". Kind of like Kakashi, now that Sakura thought about it. Both men were clearly capable of taking care of themselves, yet they were laid back enough not to go starting unnecessary fights. She liked those kinds of people.

Oh! That reminded her. Sakura had to message or call Kakashi some time during the next day, as he had apparently been asking after her. How did she know? Gaara took Ao for a walk, met up with Kakashi and his pack of dogs and so on.

"Are you looking forward to going home?" Yamato asked Sakura, handing her the photo frame on the bedside table. Movements paused for a moment, however, when he took a look at the picture. It seemed old, though no older than a year or so. It was of Sakura, Gaara, Ao and… And her parents. His eyes unnoticeably saddened. They all looked so happy in the picture. She and Gaara were dressed up formally, like they were going to a prom or something of the sort. "Here."

Sakura smiled sadly. "Gaara and I were on our way to the Hyuuga dinner party in this." she told him even though he hadn't asked. "My mom practically forced us into having our picture taken. That…" her voice broke for a moment with emotion, but Sakura forced herself to calm down. "That was the night Gaara was welcomed into the family, when my mom and dad told him that he was a part of the family."

Ah. From what little Yamato knew of Sabaku Gaara, he knew that his childhood had not been a happy one. To hear such words must have been… Yamato wasn't sure. Surreal, perhaps? Unbelievable? There was a smile in Gaara's eyes, one that was larger and warmer than the actual smile on his face, but it told you just how happy hearing those words made him.

"Sakura–san?" a voice called quietly after a single knock on the door. "Sabaku–sama is here for you."

A nervous feeling fluttered in her stomach. "Tell him I'll be five minutes. I'm just finishing this last bit of packing."

The woman smiled warmly. "Of course. Please take care of yourself!"

With that, the woman left, making Sakura smile. They were so nice here.

"Is that everything?" she murmured, glancing around her temporary room. It seemed as though she had everything, but Sakura wanted to make sure.

Yamato also looked around before grabbing the shirt on the bed, handing it over to her. "You nearly forgot this." he told her with a smirk. "If we find anything else, I will make sure that you get it back. Now go to Gaara–kun, Sakura. I know he has missed you."

That sounded perfect.

* * *

Where was she?

Gaara had already signed her out, had dealt with all the paperwork so that they wouldn't have to waste another second. He just couldn't wait to get Sakura back, to take her home and never let her go again. Not in the creepy, possessive way, but in the 'I–missed–you–so–much' way.

And God he had missed her so badly.

Being told that it would be best to allow her to heal alone, without the distraction of visitors, was painful. Gaara had told her that he would be there every moment of every day, a step behind her and waiting to catch her if she fell. But… Maybe Sakura didn't need him to be walking behind her? Maybe she wanted him walking by her side, holding her hand and keeping her going? No, Gaara didn't believe that she was incredibly dependent on him, but she had her moments, just like he had his. He knew that he could be clingy at times, though she certainly never complained.

Around the time of his birthday, it was no secret that Gaara stuck closer to her, that he was especially loving if they ever made love – or even simple, chaste kisses. Everything and anything he did would be more passionate, more tender. Not only around his birthday, either. Also around the time when they had all been held hostage in her old home, when Kabuto had tried to kill her. When he had almost lost her.

Gaara swallowed tightly and forced himself to calm down. Kabuto was in prison. He could not touch Sakura and if he ever got within a mile radius of her, Gaara swore to whoever was listening that he would not be walking away. He'd be leaving with more than a fucked up leg. Kabuto had gotten lucky that Sakura had a moment of humanity, when she had stopped Ao from killing the bastard.

And then a flash of pink caught his attention, though right at the last second before someone was suddenly slamming into him.

"Gaara!" Sakura exclaimed and ran towards him, her arms wrapping around his neck and her legs around his waist. He caught her and held her up effortlessly and when she pulled back, Sakura couldn't help but smile brightly, crushing her lips to his. "I missed you so much."

Her bags were dumped onto the ground at his feet and Gaara was careful when he placed her down onto hers in case she tripped. "I'm glad you're finally coming home."

It surprised him when Sakura fisted his hair in one of her hands, the other cupping his face and pulling it down to hers, pressing their foreheads together. "I'm so glad to finally be coming home." she whispered, eyes slowly shutting. "I _missed _you."

It wasn't hard picking up on what she really meant, especially when Sakura reopened her eyes and gave him such a sultry look that it had his blood boiling, had his hands twitching on her waist, barely stopping from squeezing her, from dragging her closer. That thought hadn't even passed his mind in the past week. All Gaara had been excited for was finally bringing her home. But now that Sakura had mentioned it, he remembered all of the lonely nights, he remembered how cold her side of the bed felt. He remembered feeling _so fucking frustrated_ and being unable to do a thing about it.

Gaara released her and picked up the bags at their feet, nodding once to her. Sakura grinned.

He shouldn't have been surprised by her need. She'd always had a high sex drive and Gaara knew that they definitely had more sex than the average couple, especially considering their schedules.

"Goodbye Sakura–san, Gaara–sama!" Somebody called after them.

Sakura gave a distracted wave, much too bothered about finally going home.

It was a near–silent drive and it honestly surprised Sakura just how far the rehab clinic actually was! On the way there, it hadn't seemed to take nearly as long, but maybe that was because Sakura had been hoping it would take as long as possible or that, somehow, they wouldn't get there at all? She bit her lip. Now it just seemed to be taking forever!

All that was passing them at that moment in time were fields, country roads and horses. Oh, there were a few cows and sheep, too, by the looks of things. She didn't like it. It stunk of manure and who knows what else.

"Did you enjoy your stay?" Gaara asked after a while, wanting to speak with her.

It had been so long since they had done something as simple as this. Simply driving home. Yes, it was the first time picking her up from rehab – and hopefully the last – but Gaara didn't care. He knew what he meant. Also the drive to rehab did not count. They had both been stressed and emotionally drained. Right now, there was a change in the atmosphere. Besides their sexual frustration they were calm, they were relaxed. Gaara was aware of the fact that it was still too early to really say that there was that big of a difference, however, this was his first impression.

And then he heard her seatbelt unbuckling.

Gaara's eyes narrowed and snapped to hers. What was she playing at? If they crashed, she'd go straight through the windscreen! "Put your seatbelt on."

Ignoring him, Sakura smirked and twisted in her seat, kneeling up and leaning over him and in response, Gaara slowed his pace considerably. His driving only continued to slow when she reached for his pants.

"Sakura," Gaara practically growled, his hold tightening on the steering wheel, "we're almost home."

Knowing what he was saying, Sakura shook her head and continued with her task of unbuttoning his jeans. "I need you, Gaara." she breathed, her hand slipping under the waistband of his underwear. "I can't wait that long."

And as her hand dragged up and down his hardening length, he couldn't help but inwardly agree with her, though still argued. "We have all night." Gaara told her with a sigh, his hips bucking when her pace increased. "I have also taken tomorrow off – Temari and Kankuro will be filling in for me."

She couldn't stop. She didn't want to. "Gaara…"

One of his hands suddenly fisted in her hair when Sakura lowered herself, taking him by surprise when she wrapped her lips around his length. It was a second later that Gaara pulled over, switching out the lights in the car as he leaned back in his seat, his hips thrusting forward minutely.

"Don't stop." his voice was breathless and strained, his hold tightening on her hair as he already felt his release drawing closer. Damn it had been too long. "Fuck, Sakura. _Don't stop_."

Her legs quivered ever so slightly at his beg, the sound of his voice making her skin tingle and her eyes slid shut with a muffled moan when Gaara's hand released her hair and travelled down her body. First, he grabbed her ass, squeezing and gently massaging, but soon travelled around her body to the front.

Just as he was about to slip his hand into her joggers, however, there was a tapping at his window, making Gaara's eyes go wide.

It was reluctantly that he turned his head and much to his horror, an elderly man was stood there. He was the uptight sort, the type who seemed ridiculously strict and traditional. Just their luck. Rather quickly, Gaara tugged on Sakura's hair gently, doing his best to keep the pleasured expression from his features as he fixed his pants. Sakura was breathless and seemed annoyed with him, that annoyance only growing when she saw the old man.

His hair was greying and his hairline receding. The only reason they knew that was because he removed his hat – one that told them he was a farmer. Well, that and the smell that wafted in when Gaara pressed the button to lower his window. As hard as she tried to hide what she was doing, the way Sakura wiped at her lips gave away that he had been close to release and _fuck_ he had been. Just another thirty seconds or so and they would have been done. Well, Gaara would be. Knowing Sakura, however, she would have probably dragged him onto the back seat and given him another hand job until he was ready again. Then, they would have a quick romp that would keep them sated until they got home. How was Gaara so sure? They'd done it before, of course.

"You cannot do that here."

The back of Gaara's neck burned whilst Sakura had to bite back her laugh at his expression. Not only Gaara's but also the man's. "We're so sorry." she told him, her voice wavering, though it was difficult to tell whether it was because of her embarrassment or barely restrained laughter. Gaara knew her well, however. He knew she was laughing. "It's just been so–"

"I don't care." the man cut her off, ignoring the warning look that Gaara shot his way. "This is my land and I do not appreciate it being defiled in such a way. Leave now before I call the police."

It just couldn't be helped. It seriously couldn't. Sakura burst into laughter, tears filling her eyes as she dropped her head into her hands, hiding her face. Gaara quickly started his car, murmuring an embarrassed, awkward apology before driving off quickly.

Defiled. Oh God. She just couldn't get over the way he had spoken and worded his sentences! "Defiled." Sakura repeated, her face flushing red. "We _defiled_ his _land_!"

Gaara was silent, his eyes narrowed and watching the road with unnecessary carefulness. Why? Because otherwise, he was going to pull the car over and pin her against the back seat, whether there were complaining old farmers around or not. In his pants his erection twitched almost painfully. _So close_. Then again, this made the wait all the more intense. It would make the moment they reacquainted themselves with each other's bodies all the more powerful.

His eyes trailed over to Sakura, watching as she wiped away her tears of laughter and took a deep breath, attempting to calm herself.

He smiled softly.

This was his Sakura. Right now, her mind seemed to be almost completely at peace and he knew this because she wasn't that good of an actress. Yes, she had bullshitted her way through Konoha Psychiatric Hospital, but many complaints had been made about that place and how they didn't care for the patients as well as they should be doing. No, Sakura wasn't able to hide much from him.

Feeling happier than he had in a while, Gaara silently reached out for her hand and held it in his own as he continued with the drive.

"Put your seatbelt on."

With a roll of her eyes, she did as he asked.

* * *

The rest of the drive was unbearably long, maddening even. The worst part definitely had to be the elevator. People kept getting on and getting off on every single floor, giving polite smiles or completely ignoring the couple. If only they knew how close Sakura and Gaara were to ripping the clothes off each other.

Sakura's bags were still in the car, completely forgotten about. It didn't really matter. They could always go down later and grab them. Also, Gaara had told her that Ao was over at Kakashi's for a short while, because the journey would take too long, meaning he wouldn't be able to walk Ao. It was understandable as Ao was a big dog who needed regular exercise.

It felt like all restraints snapped as they reached their floor, as the elevator doors shut behind them. They didn't even see the man standing in his doorway, something he always did. It was his job to watch over Sakura and Gaara, after all. Not only that, but Sasori would totally kick his ass if he slacked off. It just wasn't worth it. Besides, he only had to stay out there whilst nobody was in the condo. They didn't have a peephole in their door, so this was the only way to make sure nobody broke in.

Deidara smirked as he watched the couple stumble into their condo, the door barely even shut when Sakura let out a pleasured whimper. The way they had been holding each other, the look in their eyes, screamed how much they'd missed each other. He huffed with amusement and closed his eyes, opening his own door and going inside. He could see why Itachi was so certain they would work out their own problems. Hell, Deidara had worked that out weeks ago whenever he spotted Gaara walking in and out of his apartment with a face of utter depression. They needed each other. It wasn't only Sakura who needed Gaara, as they had been led to believe. It worked both ways.

* * *

"I'm going to go and freshen up." she breathed, eyes sliding shut as Gaara's insistent hands continued to caress her body. "Give me fifteen minutes."

Reluctantly, he pulled away and nodded once, though leaned back in to press a lingering kiss on her lips. "Make it ten."

Watching as Gaara made his way to their bedroom, Sakura quickly began to strip, rushing over to the bathroom and jumping into the shower before it had even warmed up. It was cold, but that was fine by her. She'd warm up again when she was…

Her knees weakened.

A second later and Sakura was quickly yet thoroughly washing herself. She'd showered earlier that morning, but had also crammed in a work out before leaving.

* * *

Gaara smirked to himself as he heard her jumping into the shower, knowing that she wouldn't wait until it was warm. That would be just like her.

Glancing around the room for a moment, Gaara tilted his head to the side before walking over to the docking station and pressing play. It was Sakura's phone that was plugged in, though he made sure to unplug it during the day as he didn't want to end up ruining her battery. Whilst she was gone, to try and relax at night, Gaara had played her favourite playlist on repeat, although it didn't have the same effect on him as it did her. Ao seemed to like it, though.

He sighed in relief, thankful that he had remembered to change the bedsheets. It was summer now and Ao was loosing a lot of his winter coat, meaning the bed had been covered in dog hairs. Not exactly romantic.

_Mayday! Mayday!  
The ship is slowly sinking  
They think I'm crazy but they don't know the feeling  
They're all around me,  
Circling like vultures  
They wanna break me and wash away my colours  
Wash away my colours_

It felt like forever was going by before the shower finally switched off, before Sakura was entering the room. Instead of reaching out to him in the same way as the frantic way they had grabbed each other, however, Sakura smiled softly and slowly walked over to him. The towel around her body wasn't all too big and it certainly didn't leave much to the imagination and Gaara found himself having a difficult time with not ripping it away from her body.

When she finally reached him, his hands immediately fell to her hips and Sakura crushed her lips to his, her hands fisting in his hair as Gaara dragged her body as close as possible.

_Take me high and I'll sing  
Oh you make everything okay (okay, okay)  
We are one in the same  
Oh you take all of the pain away (away, away)  
Save me if I become  
My demons_

Guiding her backwards, Gaara moved his kisses to her neck and slowly lowered Sakura onto the bed. There was a gentle smile on her lips, one that warmed him from the inside just like it always did. He loved her smiles and had missed them terribly over the past few months.

Tugging on the towel, Sakura lifted her hips and allowed for Gaara to remove it from her body, sighing as she heard it drop to the floor by their bed. The feeling of his strong hands roaming over her body, of his lips moving lower and lower, had a pleasurable warmth washing over her. Not even half a minute later and Sakura's back arched, her mouth fell open in a silent cry of pleasure as his tongue worked over her, his fingers taking her higher and higher.

_I cannot stop this sickness taking over  
It takes control and drags me into nowhere  
I need your help, I can't fight this forever  
I know you're watching,  
I can feel you out there_

"Gaara," she sighed, her head dropping backwards onto the pillows, "I love you."

There was so much more that she wanted to say, so many pretty words that she wanted to tell him, but now was not the time. Her body was thrumming, blood was boiling and the coil in her stomach was tightening, a clear indication that she was close to orgasm.

He pulled away, smirking down at her with the devilish smirk that had never failed to make her heart beat faster. "I love you."

Forgetting the annoyance that had been building due to him leaving her unsatisfied, Sakura smiled and sat up, kissing Gaara softly as she switched their positions. Hearing those words coming from his lips brought Sakura a feeling she would never be able to describe. The love she felt for the man beneath her was so intense, so powerful, that there were no words to describe it.

Movements were jerky and hurried as Sakura shoved his underwear down, throwing them across the room and she couldn't help but giggle when he smirked up at her, his eyes warm with love and a look that screamed just how much he missed her.

_Take me high and I'll sing  
Oh you make everything okay (okay, okay)  
We are one in the same  
Oh you take all of the pain away (away, away)  
Save me if I become  
My demons_

Rolling them over, Gaara held her body close to his as he entered her, kissing Sakura tenderly as he slowly rocked within her, grinding his hips against hers before going back to his thrusts.

This was the lovemaking Sakura enjoyed most. It was intense, but it was gentle and so delicate that it made her eyes slide shut, made her return his kiss with just as much tenderness and love. To anyone else, this would have probably seemed so very out of character for Gaara. There was no denying he seemed like a big, scary tough guy who had no emotions, but Sakura knew different. _She knew him_. And now that she was thinking logically once more, now that her thoughts were straightened out and she could actually focus on them, Sakura could see now that there wasn't another woman – Matsuri meant absolutely nothing to him. He was all hers, just like she was all his.

_Take me over the walls below  
Fly forever  
Don't let me go  
I need a saviour to heal my pain  
When I become my worst enemy  
The enemy_

Her hips moved with his wantonly, squirming and grinding and her toes curled as orgasm finally claimed her, taking away her sight for what felt like minutes, hours, _days_! All she could focus on was Gaara and the amazing feelings he was bringing her. It felt like an explosion of pure pleasure, making her cling onto him tightly.

_Take me high and I'll sing  
Oh you make everything okay (okay, okay)  
We are one in the same  
Oh you take all of the pain away (away, away)  
Save me if I become  
My demons_

Her orgasm brought forth his own, had him grunting and moaning in her ear whilst his body trembled and twitched, releasing himself inside of her in hot spurts that only increased Sakura's pleasure, sending her over the edge a second time.

Time seemed to tick by slowly as their pleasure slowly faded away, leaving them to bask in the blissful post–coital sensation.

"I missed this," Sakura whispered and Gaara lifted his head from her neck in response, staring down at her with lidded, yet warm eyes, "I missed _us_."

He smiled softly and stroked her cheek. No words were needed to know that he felt the same way.

* * *

**A/N - I'll be going on hiatus for a short while! Sorry, but I need to focus on college. I have a few assignments and an exam coming up. Hopefully it'll only be a few weeks though! Two minimum, three maximum!**


	18. Helping A Friend

**Chapter 18 – Helping A Friend**

Gaara sighed. Did he really have to go through this?

"I mean… I _think_ she's enjoying it, but…" Naruto grimaced and poked at his ramen. "Hinata just seems… It, uh…" The redhead silently prayed that something would happen and he would be somehow saved. "It takes a while to, you know… get her going." pausing, Naruto glanced up at him and frowned. "Do you and Sakura…?"

"No." It made him completely uncomfortable discussing his sex life with others, especially with former lovers of Sakura. Then again, Naruto had never asked about it before and he seemed just as uncomfortable as well as worried. Did it really matter to him that much if he couldn't make Hinata orgasm? "We are both very active." the deepening of Naruto's frown had him sighing. "High sex drives, Naruto."

He nodded quickly, averting his eyes. "And… Do you… Do you make Sakura…?"

Gaara thought back to all of their times together, each memory and every time he had taken her was burned into his mind. They had sex twice a day. Once in the morning and once at night, although if Sakura was on her period, then they obviously did not. So taking away eighty–four days, which was seven days every month (even though her periods were extremely unpredictable and changed all the time), Gaara would say that they had had sex well over five hundred times and that was in the past year alone.

"Yes." another pause when he noticed Naruto growing more distressed. "Stop worrying so much. As I said, both Sakura and I have high sex drives. Not only that, but I know her well and know what…" makes her come. "And her body is extremely sensitive, Naruto. You just need to get to know Hinata's body better. Take your time to learn everything about her."

"Learn her body?"

What the hell had he been doing up until now? Simply fucking her? "Yes." not for the first time, he sighed. "Sakura has ten erogenous zones on her body – parts of her body that are highly sensitive to sexual stimulation." Naruto nodded, smiling sheepishly in thanks for the explanation. "What are Hinata's?"

"Uh…"

Gaara felt like slamming his head into the table they were sat at. "Lips, neck, ears, shoulders, breasts, stomach, ass, thighs, hips and obviously, her g–spot. Those are all of Sakura's erogenous zones." his features darkened. "And if I ever hear of you repeating any of that–"

The blond waved his hands dismissively. "You won't, you won't!"

There was a moment of pause, one where Gaara regarded Naruto before nodding. "Those are the parts of her body I pay most attention to, as it brings her the most pleasure. There are other parts of her body that can be sensitive, like her ankles, knees and the insides of her elbows," Naruto pulled a funny face, wondering just how those parts of her body could turn her on, "but those are the ones that are most sensitive. Like I said, take your time. Start with her lips and make your way down." the back of his neck was burning. Just what the hell was he doing? The things he did for his friends… "Find all of Hinata's erogenous spots and don't be a selfish lover."

"A selfish lover…" Naruto thought back on his times with Hinata. There weren't many. They hadn't started having sex until their sixth month anniversary, which had been a few months ago now and since then, they'd had sex… four, maybe five times? It was just so hard getting Hinata wet enough! No matter how hard Naruto tried, he just couldn't turn her on enough to make sex comfortable for her. "Have you ever…?"

"Never."

"Not even once?" he scowled. Surely that was a lie? "You've never once been selfish when with Sakura?"

"No."

"Bullshit."

Gaara gave him a blank look. "I'm not lying."

"_Bull_–"

"What's bullshit?" a voice questioned from behind them and when they turned slowly in horror, they saw Sakura stood there with Hinata, shopping bags in one hand whilst the other was resting on her hip. By her side, Hinata stood unsurely, with just as many shopping bags. She kept a certain one hidden inside of the others. "Naruto?" Sakura asked, knowing there was no use in asking Gaara.

He smiled sheepishly. "Well, Gaara said that he's never been a selfish lover–"

"He hasn't." Sakura shrugged simply and sat down beside her fiancé, who sighed. He knew what was coming. "Gaara always makes sure that I orgasm either before him, or at the same time." Hinata's face turned an unhealthy shade of red whilst Naruto's mouth dropped open. Once again, Sakura shrugged. "My body is sensitive and even if it wasn't, Gaara knows how to use his–"

Gaara cut her off. "What did you buy?"

Quietly, whilst still blushing furiously, Hinata sat beside Naruto, offering him a shy smile when he glanced down at her. He seemed slightly uncomfortable in her eyes and it made her question just what he and Gaara had been discussing before she and Sakura turned up. Had it been the same discussion she had had with Sakura? Oh Hinata hoped not!

They had been together for just under eleven months now and don't get her wrong, because Hinata couldn't be happier! Naruto treated her like she was a queen and could be just as serious as he was playful and childish, but… She sighed, averting her eyes to the counter as Naruto ordered for both her and Sakura. Their sex life was not what she had expected it to be. Hinata wasn't sure what she had been expecting, though it definitely was not like this.

How could she explain it without seeming needy or… or whatever the name that was used for girls who needed more from their partner?

It wasn't that he couldn't turn her on, because he could. The things Naruto whispered hotly in her ear could set her whole body on fire! However… It was… Once more, Hinata sighed, smiling up at the woman who brought them their food a moment later.

Their sex felt like it was lacking something.

That was what she wanted to say to Naruto, but how could she say such a thing to him? Despite all of his act at being unaffected by certain things, Hinata knew it was different. She'd been in love with him for as long as she could remember! Meaning that Hinata had also seen the effect bullies had on him. It made him fear rejection, made him fear that he wasn't good enough – though he certainly hid those fears well.

So, Hinata had asked Sakura about it. She had asked her how her first time with Naruto was, despite being uncomfortable with the thought of her friend sleeping with her boyfriend. Then, when Sakura had shrugged and said that it was "sweet" and "intimate", Hinata had almost burst into tears. Intimacy. Their sex lacked intimacy. To her, it simply felt like a chore – something that was expected of her.

It felt strange discussing sex with Sakura, for Hinata had believed that she may be uncomfortable with such a thing after everything that had happened to her. Surprisingly, however, Sakura had been rather understanding, smiling softly and giving her advice on what to do. Those words made Hinata think and even though she knew Sakura wasn't suggesting such a thing, the dark haired woman knew that it was her own fault and not Naruto's. She was the one who made sex feel like a chore because of the way she had been brought up – she had been brought up to believe that sex before marriage was not allowed and once a woman was married, it was her job to birth her husband's children and raise those children. That had stuck with her. Well, the second part had.

And that was why she and Sakura had been shopping. They were "spicing up" Hinata and Naruto's sex life. How did they do that? Lingerie. According to Sakura, it not only made the woman look incredibly hot, but also gave her a boost in confidence. She told Hinata that nothing made her feel more like a woman than when Gaara gazed at her with lidded eyes, silently telling her that he definitely enjoyed the sight of her in her lingerie, telling her without words that he couldn't wait to tear it off and ravish her.

As her thoughts turned impure, Hinata blushed.

"Something wrong, Hinata?"

Her head snapped up and her blush deepened, like a child who had been caught doing something they weren't supposed to. "U–Uh, no. I'm fine, thank you, Naruto–kun."

Nodding silently, he turned back to his food, but not even a moment later, he was looking back at her with a grin. "Want to see a movie tonight? I heard that book you like was coming out as a movie tonight!"

Pale eyes widened. He remembered that? She had told him about the movie months ago!

Hinata's heart warmed, as did her smile and eyes. "That would be lovely, Naruto–kun."

He smiled at her in response. The small, loving smile that had her lowering her eyes shyly. Whilst she was so very glad that she hadn't, Hinata just couldn't understand how Sakura had _not_ fallen in love with Naruto. He was such a sweet person behind all of his joking and hyperactive personality.

"–and I also got a new…" Sakura leaned closer to Gaara, whispering something in his ear that had him tensing ever so slightly.

It had been a week now since Sakura had gotten out of rehab and her friends had been calling non–stop to see how she was, to make plans of meeting up. So far, she had made plans with everyone except for Kakashi, Temari and Moegi.

Part of Sakura felt so badly about the way she handled things with Temari. The woman was Gaara's sister! Of course she'd be siding with her little brother. However, a part of her also believed that the blonde could have been just a little more understanding. Granted, Temari probably didn't know anything about bipolar disorder and knew very little about what it was truly like, however, just because Sakura was seeming paranoid, it did not mean that it was because of her disorder.

Slowly, Sakura took a deep breath and released it. There was no use in holding onto those negative feelings. To move on, to move forward, she needed to let go of the past or at least accept it. Certain things, she was still working on, but smaller things such as the whole mess with Temari, were easier to handle.

"Gaara," Sakura told him softly, glancing up at him, "you should call Temari and Kankuro later to invite them over for dinner."

He paused in his eating, raising a brow. "Are you sure?"

She smiled. "Temari's your sister, Gaara. We need to put what happened behind us otherwise it could eventually get in between _us_ and our relationship. I'm willing to forgive and forget." her smile widened for a minute. "To be honest, I've kind of missed having her around."

Gaara couldn't even deny that it made him happy hearing those words. It was uncomfortable having the two fighting (not exactly fighting, but definitely not friends). He nodded once at her, accepting the hand that entwined with his free one beneath the table.

Everything had been going well for them in the past week. There were a few tears every now and then, but that was understandable considering the fact that Sakura had lost both of her parents. Having Ao around cheered her up, however, and she had started going back to college, too. She was slowly yet surely getting back to the way her life was before her episode.

The second day of being home, Sakura had contacted her college (who hadn't been too thrilled with her sudden disappearance) and on the third day, went to a meeting with some of the tutors there. After explaining everything to them, and them checking that her story was true by contacting Tsunade, they had agreed to give her a second chance. They also offered her an opportunity to make up for the work she had missed.

As for her apprenticeship with Tsunade… Well, the blonde hadn't welcomed her back with open arms and a warm hug, but she _had_ welcomed her back with a smile, ruffle of the hair and a "_I'm glad your back, kid_."

It was hard accepting the fact that her parents were really gone and she kept expecting them to just turn up at the condo, but like Sakura had told Gaara, it _had_ hit her. Thankfully, it was whilst she was in rehab, where they supported her fully and gave her the help she needed. Sakura could think of no other way to thank everyone there who had helped her, so she sent them all gift baskets with little cards, expressing how grateful she was.

"Your food is getting cold, Sakura–chan!" Naruto exclaimed teasingly, yet there was a more serious edge to his tone. "Don't be wasting ramen!"

She knew what he was really saying: _eat your ramen before I do_.

Sighing with mock defeat, Sakura nodded and lifted her free hand to grab her chopsticks. Just as she was about to tuck in, however, her phone began to ring, causing her to free both hands and grab her bag, shuffling through it for a few moments before she found her phone.

The name of the caller had her frowning softly, but she still answered. "Shisui?"

On the other line, there was a quiet chuckle. "_Is that any way to answer your phone, Sakura?_"

She rolled her eyes. "It's only you!"

In response, he sighed. "_Always so harsh_."

"So, what's up? I mean, there's a reason why you're calling me from the station, right?"

Gaara glanced up at her, frowning. On her other side, she vaguely noticed Naruto and Hinata doing the same.

"_Is there a chance we could speak in private, Sakura_?" Shisui asked her hesitantly, but his voice was still professional. "_Possibly at the station?_"

At the station? His words had a horrible unease running up her spine. "H–Has something happened…?"

There was another sigh on the other end. "_Just come as soon as you can, please. Bring somebody with you. If you want, I can contact Itachi and have him–_"

"That won't… That won't be necessary. Gaara's here with me now and his car is just out front."

Gaara looked at her questioningly, pausing in his eating. "_Okay,_" Shisui replied quietly, "_I will see you soon_."

As soon as she hung up the phone, Sakura was standing. "Gaara, Shisui wants us to go to the station."

Naruto and Hinata exchanged glances, wondering what could be happening, before he turned and began to question Sakura, but it seemed the dark haired woman had a calming effect on the blond for the moment she placed her hand on his arm, he stopped in his shouting. Hinata shook her head at him silently, telling him to stay out of it. If Sakura wanted them to know, she would tell them.

Even though he was unsure, Gaara could tell Sakura didn't have the answers he wanted so he instead stood up and placed down more than enough money for the bill, nodding once to Naruto when the blond grinned in thanks. Grabbing Sakura's shopping bags, he walked out of the ramen stand with her right behind him, taking her place by his side as they made their way to his car.

* * *

The drive went by much too quickly, in Sakura's honest opinion, and the curling unease in her stomach only continued to grow until she was certain that she was about to throw up. Gaara seemed to realise that, too, for he opened the window for her, allowing Sakura to take deep, calming breaths. It kind of messed her hair up, but she didn't complain. Instead, Sakura reached behind her and tied it into a high ponytail.

"Maybe they've found something?" Sakura murmured thoughtfully, glancing over at Gaara.

He kept his eyes on the road. "Perhaps. Did Shisui tell you anything?"

"No. He just asked me to come to the station and bring somebody with me." she sighed and sat back in her seat, staring out at the road. It was fairly busy but thankfully not jam–packed like it could have been. "Do you think it could be something bad? If he's not telling me over the phone, I mean."

"There's no telling." he told her in return, turning into a car park that was vaguely familiar to her. There were only a handful of times that Sakura had been to the station. "He could have asked for you to come to the station for a number of reasons."

That was true.

Once Gaara had found a parking space, they got out of the car and he locked it as they walked towards the station. It didn't look like much from the outside – just your ordinary, everyday police headquarters. There were a few police cars in the parking lot, although there were most likely more of them behind the barbed wired fencing at the side of the building. To keep thieves out, most likely.

One of the officers in the reception area showed them to Shisui's office, taking them into the elevator and up a few floors. He didn't run the entire police force, but he ran a large amount of it and all other officers looked to Shisui with respect. Whilst he received orders, he gave more of them out. Sakura could remember Itachi telling her the official name of Shisui's role, though she couldn't seem to recall it. All Sakura knew, was that Shisui was a very powerful, highly respected and influential man. Many looked up to him.

"Here we are." the officer smiled politely. "Is Uchiha–taichou expecting you?"

Sakura nodded once at the woman, but couldn't bring herself to return the smile. "He is."

Nodding, the officer knocked on the door. It was the knock all police officers had – that stern, 'you better answer the door right now' knock. After hearing a "come in", she pushed the door open. "Uchiha–taichou, you have some visitors."

From within the office, Sakura and Gaara heard him tell her to let them in. Without another word, she did.

They entered the office silently, Sakura's stomach in knots and her heart beating fast. His office wasn't anything too special and was in fact rather basic, though she hadn't expected much different from him. Shisui was like Itachi in that way. They didn't care for luxurious looking offices and simply took what they were given, making the best out of it.

"I'm glad you got here as soon as you could." he told them quietly, gesturing to the two chairs in front of his desk. They seemed just as comfortable as the one Shisui was sat down in. "How are you feeling, Sakura? Much better, I hope." she could only nod and noticing this, he got down to business even though Sakura refused to sit down, seeming too nervous and on edge to do so. "Sakura, I called you here today to inform you that Haruno Kazashi's death was not an accident." Shisui sighed, trying his best not to see the horrified pain in her eyes. "The autopsy results came back just this morning. They are saying that there was some sort of snack in Kazashi's stomach, a cookie of sorts."

Sakura shook her head and gave a soft, pained chuckle. "Mom always told him to lay off of cookies because of his health."

The Uchiha smiled at the memory, also recalling the many times he'd heard Mebuki snapping at Kazashi to stop eating so much because of the effect it had on his health. Shisui shook the memory away. Right now, he had to be professional. "As well as the cookies, there was a hardly detectable poison." Sakura paled, as did Gaara. "It was difficult for them to discover, but they can confirm that the poison causes heart attack symptoms, which led those at the hospital to believe that was how he died."

She was thankful for the seats that were behind her, because Sakura suddenly collapsed backwards into one, looking as though she had gone into shock. Her father… He had been poisoned. He had been _murdered_.

"How did the poison get into his system?" Gaara asked for her, taking a seat into the only one by her side. "In all my time knowing Kazashi, he hasn't once eaten cookies made by anyone other than Mebuki and I know she would have never brought him any harm. She loved him."

It took a lot to hold back his helpless shrug. "We don't know how he came across the poison, but the cookies in his stomach were filled with the same substance, so wherever he got those cookies from, is the place that poisoned him. Just like you, however, Gaara–kun, I also personally knew Kazashi and Mebuki, therefore I already know he would have never eaten anyone else's cooking, and Mebuki would have never harmed her husband."

Sakura finally came back to herself, staring up at him with an unreadable expression. "Somebody planted those cookies there. Somebody made him believe they were made by my mom. He's never eaten anyone else's desserts. Even when we went out for meals, he never ate the desserts. My dad always said they tasted awful in comparison to my mom's."

Shisui nodded, glad that Sakura was keeping focused, that she was cooperating. "Did your father have any enemies, Sakura? Any competitors?" Sakura shook her head, already knowing that these were routine questions.

She already knew who had done it.

"It was Orochimaru's doing. Even if he wasn't the one who personally put down those cookies, who broke into my parents' home…" she growled at just the thought of somebody breaking in. "He hired somebody to do it. Somebody who is skilled with poisons."

That had been his exact thoughts. "And why do you think that?"

Her heart was pounding loudly with anger and it took a lot for Sakura to stay seated, to keep herself from screaming out loud with frustration and pain. If somebody wanted to hurt her, why hadn't they done it already? Harming the people she loved… No. Sakura would rather somebody came after _her_. Physical pain, to an extent, she could handle. "The letter that was left for me. The snake." she scowled, hands shaking as she wiped them on her jeans, trying to wipe away the sweat. "The letter… It said _'I'm just getting started'_ so maybe… Maybe they were talking about my father? Maybe it was a warning of some sort, warning me that they would be coming after my mother next?"

Again, his exact thoughts. Sakura truly was a smart girl and clearly, rehab had helped her sort her thoughts out, had helped her think more logically and clearly.

"Are there any updates on Orochimaru or his lackeys?" Gaara asked.

Shisui reluctantly shook his head. "I'm afraid not. I can assure you, however, that my officers are out there searching for them. Finding Orochimaru is one of our top priorities. As for Karin, we have received a few phone calls about possible sightings, although whenever we check into those sightings, we find nothing of importance."

Sakura released a shaky sigh. Orochimaru was one of their top priorities. That simple sentence made her feel a little safer. That meant the police force were doing their absolute best to track him down.

"Your way of thinking, Sakura," Shisui gave her a small smile, "is the same way as my own. Whilst we can't delve too deep into the investigation until we know that everything is for sure, I can tell you now that it _is_ connected. Your mother, your father…" he paused for a moment, eyebrows knitting together. "I promised you not too long ago that I would find out who murdered your parents, Sakura. Right now, we have found out who did that. We just need to catch them and bring them to justice."

She nodded quickly. "A–And everyone else? All my other friends and family… Are they safe? Gaara, Naruto, Ino, Itachi and Sasuke… _You_? Are any of the people I love and care for, safe?"

That was something he sadly could not promise and seeing that look in his eyes, Gaara frowned down at Sakura. Worrying too much was going to make her ill, but no matter how badly he wanted to tell her not to worry, Gaara knew that she still would. "You're forgetting that most of us can fight, Sakura." he told her quietly, trying to ease her mind somewhat. "So we can defend ourselves. Also, Orochimaru cannot act too recklessly with his actions."

Seeing where he was going with his words, Shisui nodded in agreement. "You're also forgetting just how powerful some of your friends are, Sakura. Maybe not all physically, but socially. If anything happened to Yamanaka Ino, you would have her entire fan–club rioting in the streets. The same goes for Gaara–kun, Itachi and Sasuke. Naruto's mother will stop at nothing if her son's life is at risk." Sakura couldn't help but give a weak smirk. "Also, Itachi taught Sasuke self–defence at a young age – and I was the one to teach _him_!" giving her a small smile, he added, "Try not to worry too much, Sakura. I will issue everyone with warnings later on this evening."

"What will you tell them?" Gaara asked for her.

"I will tell your female friends not to travel alone – not in a sexist way!" he added quickly, noticing her scowl. "What I mean is… Hyuuga Hinata, Yamanaka Ino… I will warn both of them just how powerful Orochimaru really is and I will make sure that they understand just how important it is that they make sure all doors and windows in their homes are locked, that they do not go out after dark or into secluded areas, alone. Of course, I'll be giving the same warning to your male friends, but can you honestly see somebody like Gaara–kun or Itachi being easily overpowered?"

There was no thinking about it. Sakura had seen them all fighting before, so she knew how strong they all were. "Can you include Tsunade–shishou to that list? I know she's scarily strong, but just in case."

He nodded in understanding. "Is there anyone else who is important to you?"

She thought about it long and hard, her eyebrows knitting together as she did so. "Gaara's siblings, Sai and Kakashi." Sakura stated, noticing how Gaara tensed minutely as he realised they would also be in danger. "I think you know all of my other friends, though. And you definitely know everyone I consider to be family."

"There is also another reason why I called you here." Shisui sighed after writing down the extra names. "I thought it would be best coming from somebody you know." when Sakura nodded once, telling him to go on, he did so. "We will be releasing your parents' bodies some time next week. If you want to start making arrangements for them, now will be the time to do so."

Her breath left her. Arrangements. Funeral. Sakura had forgotten all about the fact they would be having a funeral! Her parents had been kept away for so long that she had honestly forgotten about it. "A joint funeral." Sakura nodded up at him. "Like Mikoto–san's and Fugaku–san's. I like the thought of them being together forever."

Shisui nodded once, ignoring the ache in his heart.

"Is that everything?" Sakura asked quietly.

"It is. But…" there was a moment of hesitance as Shisui stared at the couple, watching them stand up together. "If there's anything either of you need, please do not hesitate in contacting me. We may not be as close as you and Itachi are, Sakura, but I like to think of you as my younger, annoying sister. And Gaara–kun, you're Sakura's family, which means you're my family, too. Please, both of you, be safe."

They both nodded gratefully.

* * *

It didn't take them long to get home, walking up to their apartment almost on autopilot. Like on the way to the car, Gaara was carrying Sakura's bags for her, though he didn't complain.

"We'll have to go grocery shopping soon." Sakura said quietly as they left the elevator and she pulled out the keys to their apartment. "Invite Temari and Kankuro over tomorrow or the day after instead. I don't think I'm really in the mood tonight for much."

He nodded silently, understanding.

As soon as the door was open, a large dog was darting towards her, his nails scraping and slipping on the wooden floor when he couldn't find traction. Ao greeted his owners happily, excitedly, seeming to pick up on Sakura's mood but trying to cheer her up in his own way.

Shutting and locking the door once Gaara was in, Sakura sighed and leaned back against it.

"Sakura…" Gaara sighed sadly, placing the bags of shopping down and making his way over to her.

It was hard to explain the gut–wrenching feeling in her stomach. Hard to explain the ache in her heart. And no matter how hard she tried, Sakura just could not stop the tears that started to flow relentlessly. Even when her face started to burn, even when her throat felt tight, even when her eyes began to ache and her head was pounding, she just couldn't stop.

Gaara held her through it all, keeping her face buried into his neck as he soothingly ran his hand through her hair, as he gently pressed the occasional kiss on the top of her head and tightened his hold on her.

* * *

**A/N – Merry Christmas!**

**Not a very cheery chapter, but what can you do?**

**I hope you all have an amazing Christmas! :-D**


	19. Confrontation

**Chapter 19 – Confrontation**

Glancing around the kitchen, Sakura nodded to herself with a bright smile.

Yesterday, she had been told about Orochimaru's connections to the murder of her mother, her father's murder and that her parents' bodies were both being released. And after getting all those tears and pain off of her chest, she had felt a little lighter. Not a lot, but enough to make it easier to get up and get on with her day.

Giving that it was Thursday, Sakura was supposed to be working with Tsunade, however the woman had called her in the morning, telling her not to bother coming in. Why? Because she had meeting after meeting and then after those meetings, she only had patients who didn't want Sakura to be in the room during their sessions. There was no point in her really being there, Tsunade had stated rather heavily (Sakura was guessing that she was hungover), and she may as well take a day off to relax.

So whilst Gaara went to work, giving her a kiss on the cheek before he left, Sakura got up and cleaned the condo. It was only a few hours later that she was grocery shopping, putting the shopping away, taking Ao on his afternoon walk and then starting dinner. Busy day to keep her mind off of everything. It helped her cope with the stress, made her feel more in control.

She looked up at the clock and noticing that it was almost time for Gaara to return home, Sakura washed her hands, checking on the karei udon as she did so. It was coming along well! Last time she had made the curry, the sauce had been a little too thin, so Sakura had cut back on certain ingredients and it seemed much thicker now. There were two pots of the karei udon, as she knew Gaara preferred his food spicy. That man could make anything spicy and still say that it tasted good!

In the fridge were twelve onigiri, meaning four for each person. They were the starter, the karei udon was the main and for dessert, Sakura had made a double chocolate fudge cake that she would later melt by putting it in the microwave for twenty or thirty seconds. There was some vanilla ice cream in the fridge to go with it, too. And even though Gaara wasn't all too keen on sweet things, preferring spicy foods, Sakura knew that he would eat it without complaint.

And how was she so certain that everything would taste great?

Sakura took Gaara's advice and stopped messing with the ratio, adding nutritions and other things such as those. If the food was supposed to be healthy, it would already be healthy, after all.

Smiling to herself once more, Sakura placed her hands on her hips.

She'd have to do something like this for all of her friends. It felt good being of use.

It felt like only minutes later that the front door was opening, that Ao was barking in greeting to the people who entered. As soon as they did, Kankuro breathed in dramatically and smirked, making a comment that Sakura had finally learned how to use the kitchen without burning it down. In return, Ao nipped his hands and gave a warning bark, before walking in the direction of the kitchen, almost like he was leading the three siblings to his master. They walked silently, Gaara taking the lead and feeling so very proud of Sakura when he noticed just how much effort she had gone to, Kankuro shaking his hand and grumbling about Ao being evil, whilst Temari stayed near the back, feeling out of place and awkward. After everything, why would Sakura want her there?

"Sakura."

She whirled around and grinned. "I was wondering when you'd all get here!" then, noticing Temari staying near the back, she faltered in her grin, before it settled to a soft smile. "Temari?"

The blonde didn't even have time to look up before Sakura was suddenly in front of her, pulling her down to her height for a hug. It shocked her to say the least and for a moment, all she could do was stare over Sakura's shoulder at her two brothers, who seemed equally as stunned. That moment was gone just as quickly as it came, and Temari returned the hold.

"Sakura–"

"Don't apologise." she whispered back, tightening her hold comfortingly. "Thank you for not treating me like I'm glass that's about to shatter. Even though I got angry with you… It's because…" Sakura shook her head and gave a soft chuckle. "You were right, with your judgements, I mean. I _was_ going through an episode. But…" pulling back, Sakura gave her a pleading, yet serious look. "Please don't pin everything on my disorder."

Temari nodded and gave her a smirk. "It's good to have you back, kid."

It was good to be back.

* * *

Later into the evening, after everybody had eaten and were sitting in the living room, there was a knock on the front door, causing Sakura to frown softly as she watched Kankuro go to answer it. They weren't expecting anyone, were they? What if there was a delivery that they needed to sign for, but had forgotten about it? Or what if–

"Stop thinking so hard, Sakura." Gaara smirked, feeling incredibly relaxed now that the air had been cleared between his fiancée and sister. They'd been getting on and talking for the better part of the night, filling each other in on everything the other had missed out on.

"Uh, guys?" Kankuro said slowly as he walked back into the living room. Behind him was Sai, who smiled his polite smile at them all. "Sai has something to show you."

Something, deep down, was telling Sakura to feel wary, but why? Tilting her head to the side, she regarded his features silently, though could find nothing on them. Even though he was smiling his creepy little smile, because his eyes were closed due to the smile, she could not see his emotions. Looking downwards, she noticed he was wearing the clothes he painted in and as her eyes travelled further downwards, Sakura found that Sai was holding a large canvas (one that was taller than his hip) although it had been covered by a sheet. It looked a little ruffled and considering the blush on Kankuro's cheeks, he'd already seen it.

Oh God what had Sai painted this time? The last time he made Kankuro blush like that, was when he had painted the brunet very intimately with one of his many celebrity crushes. It had been for practice, Sai had told her with a shrug.

What could–

As Kankuro's eyes met with hers, it suddenly hit her.

"I came to show you all the picture I made of–"

"No!" Sakura snapped, jumping out of her place on the sofa and charging towards Sai, but it was too late.

He'd already dropped the sheet, revealing his painting.

Her breath left her.

It wasn't what she had been expecting. No, it was, but only partly. Instead of it being just Sakura with only a robe covering her, it was instead… Her eyes widened. Like before, her back was to the painter, the robe had fallen from her shoulders and was hanging almost indecently low, revealing pale, flawless shoulders and back. The look on her face was still sultry, it was still a 'come hither' expression, however…

Gaara was in the background. Sai had painted him in. The redhead was standing directly in front of her, like a fierce protector and his eyes were practically screaming "she's mine". He was completely shirtless with his pants hanging dangerously low on his hips, looking as great as he always did, and one of his large hands was resting on Sakura's hip, keeping her against him. In response, her own was clutching onto his shoulder – a possessive and protective lover's embrace.

But what stood out the most on the painting?

The wedding rings.

On their left hand, on their ring fingers, were wedding rings.

Noticing their shock, Sai smiled. "An early wedding present for you both. I know it is too soon, but Ino is adamant that I give you this as a wedding gift and I would rather do it now, than allow for it to collect dust in the back room." he tilted his head to the side, watching Sakura for a moment. "When I asked you if I could paint you, Sakura, you were not in the right frame of mind and only accepted to anger Ino, correct?" feeling everybody staring at her, she nodded, her blush from seeing the picture still on her cheeks. "This is why it took me so long to finish my picture. I had to study you for a while, Gaara–kun, to capture your personality as best as I could."

He hadn't even realised, Gaara thought, his eyes unable to move away from the picture. In all his time with Sakura, he'd always believed that they seemed a little awkward – picture–wise, of course. Why? Because they were more or less complete opposites. However, Sai had managed to capture the look in their eyes, the one that told you that they needed each other, that they helped each other.

"This is…" Temari blinked in amazement and shook her head. "This is perfect, but–"

"How do you know that Gaara's a natural redhead?" Kankuro questioned suspiciously, noticing the fine red hairs that were leading towards and under the almost indecently lowered pants.

It took a lot to fight back Gaara's need to blush.

"I hear a lot of things, Kankuro–san." Sai smiled politely and then nodded in Sakura's direction. "Gossip shared between Ino and Sakura are one of those things. They were sharing tips, I believe, when Ino asked her if…" he frowned softly in confusion for a moment. "I believe she asked 'so, does the carpet match the drapes?' or something along those lines. Later, when I asked Ino about it, she had shrugged and told me that Gaara–kun does not dye his hair."

Sakura took a deep breath, making a mental note to kill Ino later on in the week.

"Why create the picture at all?" Temari asked curiously. "I mean, you said Sakura clearly wasn't in the right frame of mind…"

He gave a shrug. "At first, I was simply going to draw it and keep it in the back of the studio until Sakura was ready to claim it. As the weeks went by, though, I had a change of mind and decided to repaint it. Instead of there only being Sakura, there is now the pair of you."

Within her chest, Sakura's heart warmed. "It's beautiful, Sai. Thank you. I've been meaning to buy one of your paintings to put up in the condo and I think this one is perfect for the bedroom."

Gaara once again fought back his blush.

"You are not buying this, Sakura." the dark haired man told her seriously whilst handing it over. "It is my gift to the both of you. Please accept it."

She took it, holding it carefully. "I'll find a way to thank you properly for this, Sai."

He knew that there was no use in arguing, so simply nodded. "Ino is waiting at home, so I can't stay. Stay safe."

With that, he left.

Sakura glanced down at the picture once more and smirked, another blush gracing her cheeks. "You look so dark and possessive, Gaara." his fists clenched when she sent him the very same 'come hither' look as the one on the picture. "It's hot."

Kankuro almost had a nosebleed.

Temari slapped him upside the head for being a pervert.

Gaara had a very difficult time not grabbing Sakura and dragging her to the bedroom.

* * *

It was two days later when Sakura entered Gaara's home office, leaning against the doorframe. She watched him work for a few moments, watched as he typed away on his laptop whilst also speaking on the phone. It was always fascinating watching him work. Gaara got so much done, so quickly, that it was hard _not_ to just… Stop and stare.

Putting down the phone, Gaara glanced up at Sakura. "Is something wrong?"

She shook her head and walked forward, stopping in front of his desk. "I need you to go to the store for me, if that's okay?"

It didn't take long for him to figure out where she was going with her question and not even a couple of seconds later, Gaara was standing up without a complaint. If Sakura could not go to the store by herself, then that meant she was on her period and out of supplies. It had happened a few times during their relationship due to how irregular her periods were and the fact that they seemed to arrive out of nowhere. No warning pains, no tenderness, just simply not there one moment and then there the next.

"Of course." he murmured, grabbing his keys. "I won't be long."

"Thanks, Gaara."

When Gaara left the office, Sakura made her way over to his laptop, making sure to be quick in logging back into his email account. They knew each other's passwords since there was nothing to hide and besides, she wasn't going onto his account to read through his emails. Sakura just wanted to get into contact with a certain person.

Finding the email address, her eyes narrowed.

Was this really a good idea? Would anything even come of this? What if nothing changed and all Sakura managed to do, was annoy Gaara by sending emails using his name, without permission?

Her decision was made when Sakura noticed that they had been trying to get in contact with her fiancé, practically begging for a second chance. Pathetic. Only one thing would make the bitch back off for good and that would be her. She needed to get something off her chest, anyway.

_Matsuri,_

_Firing you was a mistake. Come to my office tonight and we can talk things over._

_Gaara._

No doubt he'd be annoyed with her when he returned and figured it out, but that mattered little to Sakura. What mattered was that the brunette wasn't going to back off until somebody forced her to. No, she wasn't going to physically assault Matsuri, no matter how badly her hands wanted to smash into that face of hers. Sakura planned to–

"Eighteen?" Sakura asked nobody in particular with her shock obvious as she saw Matsuri's file connected with her email address. It was nothing too personal and all other workers had it. In a way, it reminded Sakura of a profile, of sorts. "That's not much younger than us…" she wasn't sure why, but she'd always thought that Matsuri was so much younger than that, even though it was at eighteen that you left school. Temari had stated once that Matsuri had to leave school early for some reason, though she never went into detail about it. Whatever it was, it was enough for the blonde to give her a chance.

Logging off, Sakura made her way out of Gaara's home office and grabbed her purse, writing a quick note to her fiancé to tell him she would be back later.

* * *

Sabaku Corporation looked the same as it always did. Sakura wasn't sure why she felt so surprised seeing it. Maybe it was because it had been a while since she was last there? Or maybe it was because the last time she had been there, it had been nothing but pain and heartbreak? In her nightmares, this place always came off as tall and imposing, like it was towering over her and about to topple down and crush her.

Taking a deep breath, Sakura locked her car and strutted into the building, keeping her head held high as she did so. Many people stared after her in pure shock, surprised to see their boss's fiancée after all this time. She looked no different than what she usually did. Confident, proud and beautiful. It was the way Sakura held herself that demanded everybody's attention and every time she visited Gaara, she looked more and more beautiful.

Talk around the office had been that they had split up, which was the reasoning behind never seeing Sakura, why the last time that they had, she had been distraught and a sobbing wreck. And later, when their boss brought their dog into work, it was rumoured that he did so because he didn't want Sakura taking the dog whilst he was at work. Nobody really knew where those rumours came from or how they started.

"Sakura–sama!" somebody called after her.

When Sakura came to a stop and glanced over her shoulder, she raised an eyebrow at the woman. "What is it?"

"U–Uh…" she blushed softly, reminding her of Hinata with the way she tapped her index fingers together nervously.

Softening her tone and expression, Sakura gave her a smile. "Is something wrong?"

"No!" the woman stammered, though quickly shook her head. "I–I mean yes! You see, Sabaku–sama doesn't work on Saturdays any longer–"

"Oh," Sakura gave a warm smile and waved her hand dismissively, "I know – he's at home right now. Besides, I'm not here to see anyone. I just need to pick up something he left in his office. Look," she shook her keys, revealing the spare key he had given her a while ago, "he asked me to grab something for him, since I was driving by here anyway."

The woman nodded quickly and lowered her head with respect. "I'm glad the rumours aren't true, then!"

Rumours? Sakura frowned. "Rumours?"

Head snapping up, the auburn haired woman chewed on her lower lip before forcing out her words. "There's been a few rumours… that you split up…"

Oh Sakura knew exactly who had spread those horrible rumours. Instead of showing her annoyance, however, she merely smiled. "No, we're still very much together and in love. I just needed some time to get everything back together again, you know? It's been a tough few months."

Of course, they all knew about the deaths of Haruno Kazashi and Mebuki, so the woman nodded more sympathetically. "Well, I am happy to see you looking well, Sakura–sama. Sabaku–sama has missed you very much – we've all noticed it."

Sakura smirked. Oh he'd love to hear _that_! His perfect pokerface wasn't so perfect after all.

"I better hurry," she told her, "but thank you for giving me a heads up about Gaara's work schedule when you thought I didn't know. It was very kind of you."

With that, Sakura made her way over to the elevator, leaving the woman to stare after her, her breathing finally returning to normal and her heart beating much faster.

There was no denying it anymore.

Everybody at Sabaku Corporation knew how intimidating their boss was, how terrifying he could be, but just standing in Haruno Sakura's presence was the most terrifying thing she had ever had to do.

They were the perfect power couple.

* * *

It was five minutes after she entered the office that there was a soft knock on the door, followed by it opening. The nerve! How dare she just open the door to Gaara's office, without permission, like she was something more than an ex–employee?

Turning her head to the side once the door was shut so she could catch a glimpse of Matsuri, she felt her blood boiling and the sight before her had Sakura's fists clenching tightly. "Dressed to impress someone?"

Matsuri stared with wide eyes as Sakura turned fully to face her, standing up from Gaara's chair with lethal, yet very graceful movements. Right at the moment in time, she appeared to be like a cat. Proud, arrogant and graceful. Not to mention Matsuri was certain that if she wanted to, Sakura could be just as deadly and vicious as a cat could be.

A lot of effort had clearly been put into Matsuri's outfit and it pissed Sakura off. The girl was wearing an incredibly short navy blue skirt (Sakura wouldn't tell her, but Gaara hated the colour navy and had ever since high school) and to go with it, she was wearing a cream blouse and knee high black boots. Her hair seemed to have been styled, too, since it looked much shinier and smoother than before. And don't even get her started on Matsuri's makeup! It looked as though a professional had done it!

"Where's Gaara–sama?" Matsuri demanded, forcing her unease down. "He asked to see me."

"You haven't figured it out already?" Sakura laughed humourlessly. "Matsuri, _I_ was the one who sent you that email! Gaara doesn't want to see you – he doesn't want anything to do with you."

It felt like her heart was being crushed. "Why would he–"

"Choose me over you?" she offered and inside, Sakura could feel her anger swelling. "I don't know, maybe it's because he loves me? You're just a child, Matsuri. You mean nothing to him and you never will! You're just an ex–employee of his. I happen to be his _fiancée_! Gaara isn't going to throw our relationship away for anyone, especially not you!"

Sakura suddenly took a deep breath and sat back down at the desk. Damn that had felt good. "I didn't come here to attack you, if that's what you're wondering." Matsuri immediately relaxed, though not by much. "I want you to tell me something and don't bother trying to squirm your way out of it like you always do, because I've had _a lot_ of time to think it all through carefully." uneasily, Matsuri nodded. "You drugged me."

Silence for a few minutes. It looked as though the brunette wasn't even going to answer, however the second Sakura narrowed her eyes and sat up straighter, like she was about to pounce, she did so. "…Yes."

"What did you give to me?"

"It was nothing harmful!" she quickly defended herself, eyes wide with horror. "You were fine–"

"Because of that drug, my medication was cancelled out – no, there was a _huge_ reaction to it and it wasn't a good one."

"M–Medication?"

It took everything inside of her not to start screaming. How could she not know? It was all over the fucking news and surely, Gaara had mentioned something? Unless… Unless he hadn't wanted to, because he knew how much it would upset her? He knew how much Sakura disliked being labelled because of having a mental illness, so perhaps he'd never mentioned it to anyone?

That didn't take away her anger, though.

"You make me so angry that it hurts." Sakura told Matsuri suddenly, her upper lip curling. "It actually _hurts_ and makes me feel sick to my stomach because I want nothing more than to just… _hit you_!"

Matsuri rolled her eyes, but even as she folded her arms over her chest and pretended like she wasn't bothered, the brunette couldn't deny that she was in fact intimidated. "Then why don't you?"

There was a look in her eye, a dark look that Matsuri couldn't place or understand, but she knew that just seeing it sent shivers up her spine. "Because if I do, I know I won't stop."

This time, Matsuri couldn't help but take a wary step back, especially as Sakura slowly stood from Gaara's desk, each movement graceful, yet dangerous. She once again looked almost cat–like and suddenly, she could place the look in Sakura's eyes. It was a feral look, a wild one. It made her think of an out of control animal and… and she felt _sorry_ for Sakura. Had she really put that much stress on the pink haired woman? Had she been the cause of this?

"Don't try and make this all about you." Sakura scoffed, coming to stand in front of the desk and leaning against it. "I can see the look in your eyes, but just so you know, you didn't cause any of this. You see, there are these things, they're called mental illnesses. I'm sure that, by now, you've probably learned about a few of them? Obviously not the finer details, but you know just enough to know that those with mental illnesses can be highly unpredictable and, in some cases, extremely dangerous."

"Where are you going with this?"

Seeing the tears in Matsuri's eyes only made Sakura angrier and it was taking everything in her not to lash out at her. How dare she cry? After everything that bitch had done, how dare she try and look like the victim? "I suffer from bipolar disorder, Matsuri." The girl's eyes widened almost dramatically. "I'm also suicidal."

The last part was said so quietly, almost like a whisper, that Matsuri had to strain to hear it, but when she did, the tears in her brown eyes finally fell. "I–I didn't know!" she whispered desperately, her hands lifting as though she wanted to reach out to Sakura. "I'm sorry!"

"I don't want your pity." Sakura snarled, but then took a deep breath to control herself. "The only reason I'm telling you this is because I want you to realise that your actions, the things you say, _hurt_. And the next time you say or do something to hurt somebody, you could say it to someone who is much worse off than I am, to someone who doesn't have anybody to stop them from doing something they may regret, or something they may not even live to regret.

"I don't want you to be the person who pushes somebody over the edge." Once again, Sakura's voice was just a whisper before she cleared her throat and spoke louder. "You may not think your words or actions are all that bad, but for all you know, they could be that final push."

Matsuri was silently sobbing by now and there was a horrified look in her eyes. "I'm so sorry."

Her apology went ignored as Sakura walked passed her towards the door, but just as she opened it, she looked over her shoulder at the girl. "Oh, Matsuri?" The girl quickly spun around, only to frown at Sakura's smirk. "The next time you try to seduce my fiancé, I'm going to rearrange that pretty little face of yours."

The deadly way she had said it made Matsuri once again shiver and Sakura chuckled softly as she left the office, not bothering to shut the door since Temari had been just about to enter, hearing that not only Sakura, but also Matsuri, had entered the building.

* * *

"Sakura."

Uh–oh. Turning slowly, Sakura gave Gaara an innocent smile.

He shook his head and sighed. "I knew you were up to something."

Feeling confused, she shut the front door properly and made her way over to him, frowning as she did so. "Then why didn't you stop me?"

"You're not a child, Sakura – you're old enough to make your own decisions."

"And if you got a call from Shisui?" Sakura raised an eyebrow, folding her arms over her chest. "And that call stated that I've been arrested for assault?"

There was silence for a moment as Gaara stared into her eyes, reading her easily, before giving her a small smile. "You didn't attack her."

"How can you be so–"

"You made peace with her, with yourself." he murmured, cupping her face gently. "That's why I let you go to her. That's why I didn't email her after the one you sent, telling her it was a set up. I trust you, Sakura. I knew that you would have had a perfectly good explanation for sneaking around."

Sakura took a deep breath before giving Gaara a serious look. "Don't freak out." He frowned, though nodded a second later. "That cake she gave me… I found out tonight _for sure_ that Matsuri drugged me. She admitted to it." a deep, terrifying rage flashed in his eyes, but Sakura grabbed his wrists and kept him there with her, stopping Gaara from going out and tracking the brunette down. "Whatever she gave me, clashed with my medication, which is why it all spiralled out of control so quickly."

How could she stay so calm about it all? "And if it had an even bigger effect? What if you had an even worse reaction to it, Sakura? What if it _killed you_?" he yanked his hands out of hers. "Ring Shisui and report it."

"No."

"What do you mean, 'no'? She _drugged you_, Sakura. That's classed as assault!"

"And what's reporting her going to solve? All we'll be doing is sending Matsuri to a big, scary place filled with murderers – filled with people who would break her in a second. She could come out so much worse than she already is." he paused, glaring down at her and in response, Sakura sighed. "I spoke with Minato–san on my way home and he's going to get in contact with her. If she chooses to accept that help, then I'll let it all go."

Gaara narrowed his eyes. "And if she doesn't?"

There was a reluctant look on her face, but Sakura eventually sighed. "Then I'll report her. Though, instead of being sent to prison, I'll demand that they give her a full psychological examination. One that she can't back out of. And from there, she _has_ to accept the help that is offered to her. That behaviour… It's not normal, Gaara."

Also sighing, Gaara shook his head, but pulled Sakura against him. "How can you be so kindhearted after everything?"

"Because despite everything, I still have so much left to lose."

* * *

**A/N - Happy New Year!**

**A few comments were made about how everything seemed like it was exploding and got out of control so quickly... Well, like I said, there was a reason for that! The drug in the cake clashed with Sakura's medication and cancelled it out, as well as reacted badly.**

**If you find any mistakes, please tell me about them. I'm half asleep right now considering it's not half six in the morning. I don't get how it took me over an hour to edit this chapter, but it apparently did. Anyways, night! :-D**


	20. Time To Say Goodbye

**Chapter 20 – Time To Say Goodbye**

"Sakura?"

She glanced up at him, finally breaking her staring competition with the black dress that was hung up on the door of their bedroom. Until that moment, all she had been doing was staring at it, standing in just a towel, fresh from the shower.

With a sigh, Gaara stepped into the room, already fully dressed in his black suit.

It had finally arrived. The day that Sakura said her final goodbyes to her parents.

He didn't push her to hurry and get dressed. Not only because they still had over an hour to get to the Uchiha home, but also because, for the entire night, Sakura had not slept a wink. Half of the night she had been in a trance of sorts, staring at absolutely nothing and acting like she was on autopilot. Then, at the strike of midnight, just as Gaara had settled into bed beside her and had been about to switch the light out, Sakura snapped. Not in a bad way – well, it was definitely worrying – but in a way that was obviously showing her unease and difficulty settling. For the rest of the night, up until an hour ago, Sakura had been making list after list of things he couldn't even comprehend. Name it, she had probably planned everything right to the finest detail. Anything to keep her mind off of the pain and the agonising reminder of what was about to happen.

"I don't think I can do this."

At her soft whisper, he cupped her face, forcing her to finally look him in the eye. "I know that you can."

She shook her head, tears filling her eyes. "Y–You don't–"

"Understand?" he questioned, though his voice was not harsh or angry. It was just as quiet as hers. "No, I don't. At least not exactly. But I know part of what you're going through, Sakura. My mother died while giving birth to me and my father… My siblings and I don't know whether he's alive or dead – we'll never get the closure we need. The letters helped, yes, but we still don't know whether or not he's alive."

"I'm sorry–"

"Don't." Gaara sighed, pressing his forehead to hers and closing his eyes. "Don't apologise. This day is going to be hard on everyone, but for you especially. I know…" she could feel the crinkles that were created on his forehead when he frowned, like the words he was about to say were painful to him. "I know that I have yet to earn back your full trust, and I know that I hurt you badly by doing what I did, but you know that no matter what happens, you can still talk to me. You can still lean on me if you need help." there were tears falling silently down Sakura's cheeks when his eyes reopened, gazing at her with a look mixed between pleading and sadness. "I'll always be here for you, and I'll always love you."

After taking a deep breath, Sakura pressed a chaste kiss to his lips. "I can do this." just as she turned away, however, and Gaara had been about to leave the room, she gave him a small smile. "Gaara?" he paused, glancing over his shoulder. "I love you too."

The weight that had settled when Sakura didn't immediately respond like she usually did, lifted.

* * *

The day was morbid. Above them, the sky had darkened into a disgusting grey colour, the clouds threatening to lash rain down at them all. In a way, it kind of made Sakura think of how she felt on the inside. Heavy and dark. After a moment though it made her feel like an idiot for having such thoughts, like she was some sort of troubled teenager with cliché problems like in the movies.

When they arrived at the Uchiha home, all was silent. Eerily so. They hadn't even entered the home yet.

Gaara parked his car, pausing as he pulled his keys out of the ignition and for a moment, they simply sat there in silence. Neither wanted to get out of the car. The reason why they were meeting at Itachi and Sasuke's home instead of their own, was because it was so much easier, and so much closer to her family home. It would have actually been at her parents' home, had it not been so hard to enter that house. It no longer felt like her home. It never had if her parents weren't around.

"Can we sit here for a few minutes?" Sakura asked quietly, her eyes not leaving the Uchiha's front door. "I just…"

"I know."

Without saying a word, Gaara pressed play on the CD player in his car, taking Sakura's hand in a comforting gesture when the music began to play. He always kept at least one of her favourite CDs in the car now, just in case Sakura needed something to calm her down. The one that was currently playing was a mix of all her favourites and had been a gift from Naruto. It seemed like the thought was appreciated, because she gave a small, grateful smile, even though she still wasn't looking at him.

Hearing the song brought Sakura a mixture of feelings. "This song… It was playing when I first woke up."

"Woke up?" Gaara frowned at her.

"After trying to kill myself." she whispered before clearing her throat and speaking a little louder. "It was on the radio – dad wanted to try and 'liven up' my hospital room, since his bad jokes weren't working." Remembering how bad they were had her smiling sadly. They had been the kind of jokes that were so bad, they were funny. "And even though… Even though I wanted nothing more than to just… die… I couldn't stop listening to this song and whenever I heard it, it made me feel grateful towards them both. For saving my life."

Listening to the song, Gaara tried to feel what Sakura was feeling, tried to imagine the relief that maybe flooded through her, but it was difficult. Like she had stated, after first waking up, Sakura had wanted to die. Nothing had really changed that until Tsunade came along and even then, she still hadn't been happy. No doubt that afterwards, though, Sakura had come to cherish the song in a way.

"What is it called?"

"Slow Life." Sakura murmured. "It's by a band called _Grizzly Bear_."

He'd honestly never heard of it until now. Even though it was on Sakura's CD, it had never really been played. Perhaps it was because it was such a slow song and sounded kind of depressing? Maybe. When feeling down, Sakura preferred to listen to more lively songs that put her in a better mood. Right now, however, it didn't seem to be dampening her mood. It was actually causing a tiny smile to pathetically pull at her lips.

"Whenever I hear it…" she continued in the same quiet voice, finally looking at Gaara. "I can remember everything about the day I woke up. The way they both cried, how they held me and almost desperately tried to find out what went wrong, where _they_ went wrong… I can even remember how they smelled!" Sakura gave a weak laugh, quickly wiping under her eyes. "At first it made me angry… But I've come to… I've come to love the memory of seeing them when I first woke up. Seeing their smiles and their relief. For a few seconds, I almost forgot why I wanted to kill myself in the first place."

"Sakura…"

A broken sob left her, her fists clenching tightly. "I miss them so much!"

Even though they had been parked for at least two minutes now, it wasn't until then that Gaara unbuckled his seatbelt and moved forward, gently bringing Sakura in for a comforting hug. She held onto him tightly. "I know." he murmured, closing his eyes with a sigh. "But when you're feeling sad, just try to remember all of the good things about them, all of the things that made them who they were."

"Like my dad's awful jokes?" she whispered, voice muffled by Gaara's shoulder.

He couldn't help but smile sadly. "Like your dad's awful jokes." Gaara agreed. "And like your mother's habit to worry more than necessary, or try to 'fatten you up'."

"She tried to fatten you up too once we were together!"

Hearing the weak laughter had his heart feeling a little lighter. "She did. Those are the sort of things you should remember about them, Sakura."

Sakura nodded quickly, pulling away and glancing over her shoulder. When she spotted that the front door had been opened, she took a deep breath. Either Sasuke, Itachi or Shisui had noticed that they had arrived, then, but gave them both a moment before actually entering.

"Okay…" she took another deep breath, squeezing his hand once before reaching for the handle of her door. "I think I'm ready."

* * *

"Itachi is in the kitchen." Shisui told her as he gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze.

Nodding, Sakura left the living room and made her way to the kitchen. It was too quiet in there. It was always quiet in the Uchiha home, but today it felt even quieter. Unnaturally quiet. Sasuke was sat on the sofa, drinking a glass of what looked like water, but was probably something a little stronger. No, he wasn't an alcoholic or had problems with alcohol like Sakura did, but… Well, today would be hard on them all for many reasons and it wasn't any different for him. Shisui had been standing by the fire place, looking at the large picture Sakura had given to Itachi for Christmas – the one of all the families together on holiday – until he noticed she had entered the room.

Knowing that she would want some privacy with Itachi, Gaara stayed in the living room with the two Uchiha men.

The kitchen was even quieter.

Itachi glanced up from the island in the kitchen, regarding Sakura for a moment before he stood up and opened his arms just in time for her to collapse against him. It was heartbreaking feeling her trembling in his arms, hearing the quiet whimpers that she was trying so very hard to keep in. Rubbing her back soothingly, Itachi placed his cheek on the top of her head and closed his eyes. No words would make her feel better.

"I–I want…"

He pulled back a little, staring down at the tear stained face that stared back at him. "What do you want?"

"I want you to stay by my side today." she whispered.

"What about Gaara–kun? Is he not–"

"No, no he is, but I need you there too, Itachi. Even though we're not blood related, they were just as much your parents as they were mine." Sakura told him earnestly, eyes pleading. "I need you both today."

"Then I'll be there." Itachi replied, grateful for her words. "Sakura, the eulogy–"

She bit her lip. "I couldn't write one. Nothing sounded right a–and it–"

Rubbing her back once more, Itachi pulled her back into his arms. "Sometimes, it is best to say what comes from the heart instead of trying to write down pretty words. You could tell everyone of your favourite memory with your parents, or how you feel when you think about them. Tell them about who _they_ were and how much they meant to you."

"I–If I can't… will you?" Sakura asked quietly, keeping her face pressed against his chest. "If I can't say anything, or get my words out, please will you speak in my place?"

He didn't even need to think about it. "Of course."

Closing her eyes, Sakura breathed out slowly, trying her best to get a hold of herself again. "Thank you, Itachi."

* * *

People kept talking to her.

Not everybody, but quite a few. They kept approaching her and offering their sympathies, telling her that her parents would be proud of her for pulling through it. Proud of her? What for? Depending so much on alcohol once more? Pushing everyone away? Or what about the fact that it had gotten so bad that she was sent to a rehab centre?

"Come on, kid." somebody behind her said, interrupting the person who was speaking to Sakura. By the look on her face as Sakura turned, she hadn't even known who that person was and was grateful for the interruption. "The funeral will be starting shortly."

Sakura stuck close by Tsunade, grateful for the woman's strong presence. Apparently the man had been an employee of her mother's, one that Sakura had never met before. Having him approach her like that and speak about her mother… It just didn't feel right. No comfort came from his words, even though they were nothing but kind. Had he really known her mother? Had they even spoken other than at the job interview, if that? Her mother had been an extremely busy woman and had just about made time to juggle around her family and business.

An arm gently went around her shoulder, holding Sakura closer to her as they entered the church. "Want a word of advice?"

She glanced up at Tsunade. "Will it help?"

"Possibly." the blonde smirked before it slipped away. "Don't obsess over the past. I've told you that before, I know, but trust me on this. Learn to accept things as they are, or you'll end up stuck in the past whilst everyone else is moving forward."

That _did_ sound like good advice. But… "I can't just let go of them."

"I'm not telling you to." she gave Sakura a gentle squeeze, guiding her to the front row where the girl would be sitting. "I'm telling you to accept it. Cherish them and never forget them and take as long as you need to when grieving for them, but don't get stuck in the past. I know what it's like and I wouldn't wish it on anyone, especially not you."

Everybody seemed to have followed her in, Sakura noticed, seeing all the others filling the church and taking their seats. They all started from three rows behind hers on each side, leaving room for family members. At that moment in time, however, it was only Sakura who was sat there.

Tsunade gained her attention once more by gently cupping her cheek and forcing Sakura to look up at the blonde instead of at them. "Can you handle this?"

No, Sakura didn't think that she could, but she had to. In order to let go, to say goodbye, she had to. "Yeah."

That was when Kushina walked over to them, offering Sakura a small, sad smile. "They're ready to begin, Sakura."

Her heartbeat increased quickly, but Sakura forced herself to nod and take her place, everybody else standing in a show of respect. Kushina and Tsunade both sat on the row behind her and silently, Sakura noticed the other members of the Haruno family sliding into the other aisle across from her. She paid them no attention and kept her eyes forward, not wanting to look behind her as Sakura heard the doors open.

Eight sets of feet, nine if you included the priest, sounded as they slowly made their way down the aisle of the church and the closer they got, the harder it became for Sakura to stay composed. Her hands and shoulders were shaking, her chest quivering with the need to sob and as the first coffin entered her line of vision, a tear silently fell down her cheek.

Her mother's coffin.

She was being carried by Sasuke, Naruto, Gaara and Itachi.

There had been some trouble with that. The other members of the Haruno family, such as Sakura's grandparents, aunts and uncles (even a few cousins) hadn't wanted to have non–blood relatives carrying Mebuki and Kazashi. Sakura had ignored them all. These were all people who were closest with her parents, not random family members who only called at Christmas time or on birthdays. These people had _always_ been there for her parents, so _they_ were the ones who would be carrying them.

It hurt seeing the tears rolling down Naruto's cheeks, it hurt seeing Sasuke's blank face staring ahead of him. It hurt seeing Gaara's solemn expression. What hurt most had to be Itachi's, though. Even though his expression was like Gaara's, Sakura could see in his eyes what he was truly feeling. The same ache as she was. Like she had said earlier that morning, Kazashi and Mebuki were just as much his parents as they were hers.

That was when the second coffin became visible to her, just as her mother's was up on the alter and waiting for her father's. Perhaps a few rules had been broken, but the priest had been very patient with her and Sakura's wants. He had even told her a few stories when they met up earlier that week to make the final arrangements. Apparently, he had been the man who joined her mother and father together in marriage. It felt fitting to have him be the one who hosted their funeral.

Her father's coffin was being carried by Shisui, Kankuro, Minato and Jiraiya.

Those four – five including her father – had met up every chance they could to have a game of poker and drink beers. Sometimes, Itachi joined them and a few times, Gaara had been offered to go along with Kazashi, the man wanting to make him feel like he was more in the family. It worked. Gaara felt very welcomed.

Like the others, they all had solemn expressions, although at that moment in time, Minato looked so very much like Naruto – or Naruto looked so very much like Minato. Whichever. Right there, Minato looked so young and lost. His trio was now down to one. He, Fugaku and Kazashi had grown up together, had been great friends. As they grew up and settled down, creating their own families, they had naturally drifted apart, but they had always, _always_ kept in touch. And when Fugaku passed away, Minato and Kazashi had been there for each other, had reminisced about all the memories, both good and bad. Now, there was only Minato left.

"_You're late_!" Tsunade hissed at somebody in the row two behind Sakura.

"_I know_." It was Kakashi. Whilst it didn't surprise her that he was late, the genuine apology in his voice did not go unnoticed by the blonde. "_There was an issue I had to deal with_."

As the coffins were placed down onto their stands, side by side, each man said a silent prayer for the couple, looking up at the picture that was at the feet of the coffins. It was of Kazashi and Mebuki when they were younger, before Sakura had been born. Itachi and the older men could recall the memory vaguely and were glad that Sakura had chosen the picture. She probably didn't know it, but that was the day they found out Mebuki was pregnant.

When Itachi and Gaara took their places at either side of her, with Sasuke and Naruto next to Itachi, Sakura felt her mind drifting. Coping mechanism, Tsunade had once called it. And behind her, Minato sat beside his wife, accepting the hand that held onto his. She knew how he was feeling. Mebuki hadn't always known the redhead and Mikoto, but they had been just as close as their husbands had been. Jiraiya was next to squeeze in next to Tsunade, along with Shisui. Kankuro sat next to Kakashi, who was sat with Ino, Sai and Temari in the row behind them. And even though Sakura was going off into a world of her own, in the back of her mind, she was glad that these were the people surrounding her and not the fakes on the other side of the church. These were her real family. Not those strangers.

It wasn't until Itachi leaned down to her that Sakura realised she had been out of it for a while, because the priest was watching her, and those on the front row at the other side of the aisle were glancing over.

"It's time for the eulogy, Sakura." he told her softly, giving her a certain look when she looked up at him. "Can you do it?" unsurely, Sakura nodded and he gave her a small, proud smile. "Remember what I told you earlier, Sakura. Just speak the truth and let everyone know the kind people your parents were."

With her bottom lip trembling ever so slightly and her eyebrows pinching together, Sakura stood up, finally releasing her tight hold of Gaara's hand.

When she was stood up there, looking out at them all, Sakura felt her throat tightening. There were so many who had turned up to show their support, to say their goodbyes! Many were crying, everybody else looked sad.

Her mouth opened.

No words would come out.

It was like one of those bad dreams, the ones where you were trying to say something to somebody to stop them from leaving, or scream for help if you were being chased, but nothing would come out. In the front row, she noticed Itachi and Gaara exchange a look, but just as they were about to stand up and help her, words finally reached her lips and began to tumble out.

"My parents… Haruno Kazashi and Mebuki, were married for over twenty–five years, but together for twenty–eight. They met at college, both studying business and…"

Noticing the looks on the other Haruno family members' faces, her words died on her tongue.

Sasuke, Kushina and Tsunade just about managed to restrain themselves from sending them vicious glares.

"They were going to go on their second honeymoon!" Sakura blurted out suddenly, her hands trembling as she fought against the urge to break down and cry. "I don't know why they kept saying it was their second," she let out a breathy laugh, "they went on a honeymoon pretty much every weekend." There were a few shaky chuckles. "And that's what I loved so much about them. Their love for each other. Their marriage wasn't perfect, not by a long shot, but no matter what, they stood by each other and kept going, supporting each other a–and…" tears filled her eyes as a quivering sob escaped her. "I'm going to miss them _so much_! The way my dad looked at my mom… I remember… back when I was around eleven, maybe twelve years old, I always wished to myself that I would one day settle down into a marriage like theirs. I'd… I'd…" she wiped under her eyes. "Whenever dad came home from work, he would kiss mom's cheek and tell her that he missed her. It always made me smile seeing that. It literally made my day. They were… They were such good people!" she cried.

"Our family was never perfect and I certainly never made it easy, but they refused to give up on me. No matter what I said, no matter what I did, they stuck by me and kept me standing when I was too weak to do so myself." her tear filled eyes drifted over to the picture of them together. In the picture, the were smiling brightly, holding each other. "Dad, I promise that I will always keep kicking. And mom… I can't promise that I'll be one hundred percent okay, but for you, I'll be strong. For both of you, I'll continue to be your kicker! I promise that… I–I–"

Gaara stood up as he saw her begin to shake, as her tears started to fall as she sobbed. Wrapping his arms around her, he whispered soft words into her ear and guided her to her seat and even as they sat down, he didn't let go of her. On her other side, Itachi placed a hand on her knee, giving a soft squeeze before he stood up to make good on his promise, making his way over to the stand to speak for her. He paused for a moment beside the picture, saying a silent prayer for them both, before he continued.

Looking out across the many people who had gathered to say goodbye, Itachi felt something clench in his chest. He remembered making a speech, an eulogy, for his own parents' funeral. Like Mebuki's and Kazashi's, it had also been a joint funeral.

"I met Kazashi and Mebuki when I was four years old." his voice echoed around the church as he spoke, his silk–like tenor calming Sakura slightly as she focused on nothing but listening to him. "They had just moved into the house beside our own and my mother and I went to greet them both, since Kazashi was an old friend of my father's. Even at four years old, I was stunned by the hospitality they showed to us. We were strangers, yet they invited us inside for some tea and dango." it was when and how his love for dango had started. "About a year later, Mebuki informed us that she was pregnant. By that time she was best friends with my mother and not a day went by that they weren't talking. Either Mebuki would be over at our house, or we would be over at hers." a soft smile graced his lips as he glanced down at Sakura. "I had never seen her or Kazashi smile so brightly before."

He didn't like the pain in Sakura's eyes. "I remember the day they gave you the nickname 'Kicker', Sakura." he told her, like he was speaking to only her. "That day, they had been looking after me, as my parents were at the hospital where my mother was having a scan to see how her own pregnancy with Sasuke was going. Your mother had been sat on the sofa with your father on one side, and myself on the other. The look of awe on their faces, of pure adoration will always be one of the first things I remember when I think of them. That and the faces your mother would make every time you kicked. You have always been freakishly strong, after all." others chuckled whilst she shot him a playful, warning glare, but the tears falling down her cheeks ruined the effect. "Your father turned to your mother and said, 'our daughter is going to be our little kicker'. She had laughed in return before taking my hands," Itachi looked down at them as he spoke, raising his hands a little, "and placing them on her stomach, following the patterns of your feet as you continued to kick. She then told me, 'this is your little sister, Itachi. She may not be blood related to you like your brother is, but she will be your sister. There will be times when she annoys you, but even during those times, you will love her just like she will love you'. And she was right.

"I never fully understood what your father meant when he told me, 'if I'm not around to deal with them, the responsibility of keeping unworthy boys away from my daughter will fall to you. If anybody hurts my daughter and I am not around to protect her, to comfort her, I know I can trust you'. But when I was seventeen, I finally, truly, understood what your father was talking about. Even now, I follow their words like I follow my own parents', because to me, Mebuki and Kazashi were very much like my second parents. If I ever needed anything, they were there. It was thanks to your mother that my father's company kept going. It was thanks to your father that I stayed strong for not only myself during the grief of losing my parents, but also for Sasuke. It was thanks to them both that I was allowed to become the legal guardian of my younger brother. And I will never be able to repay them for that. Not even looking out for you will pay them back, because I do that not only for them, but also for you, Sakura. You are my little sister, just like Sasuke is my brother. I finally understand what they had been trying to tell me.

"They loved you with all their hearts, Sakura. Do not ever forget that. If you ever find it difficult to keep going, if you ever feel like it is impossible to keep going, think of your parents and remember everything they have done for you. Remember the caring and selfless people your parents were."

And with that, he nodded once to the priest before taking his seat once more, accepting the hand Sakura held out to him.

"Thank you." she whispered.

Itachi gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

* * *

Why did they even have things like these?

Sakura looked around the large room as people drank alcohol, ate food and spoke with one another. What was the point in this? How exactly were they celebrating the lives of Haruno Kazashi and Mebuki?

"Come on, Sakura–chan." Naruto sighed, pulling her to her feet. "This used to be our song, remember?"

Listening as Naruto dragged her over to the middle of the room where people were slow dancing together, Sakura sighed and pressed her forehead to his shoulder. "I need a drink."

There was a pause before he put on a laugh. "Sorry, but you got your card revoked."

"I know, I know." she muttered, swaying gently with him. Naruto had never been the best of dancers and if they tried anything more than simply swaying, there was no doubt in Sakura's mind that her feet would be stamped on. "They keep staring at me."

Eyes shifting from the wall in the back, Naruto glanced around the room and sure enough, there was a group of women staring at her – oh wait, no. There were two very feminine looking men in that group. He could recognise one of them and realising who it was had his eyebrows mashing together. "That's your grandma, right? The rich one?"

She nodded. "None of them approve of me. They used to, but ever since…"

He pulled away slightly and looked down at her in shock, before anger settled on his features. "They blame you for that?" Naruto demanded, but seeing the effect it had on her, he decided to momentarily put that anger aside and instead comfort his best friend. Yanking her closer, he squashed her into a bear hug, making her reluctantly smile when Sakura was lifted off her feet and spun around. "Who cares what those old farts think? You're a much better person than they are, Sakura–chan."

"Am I?"

Hearing the doubt in her voice, Naruto nodded quickly and spun her around again. It would make her dizzy eventually. It always had. "Of course you are! Your mom and dad raised you, after all. Not to mention you had me by your side and we all know how much of a good influence I am."

Sakura laughed at his words. "Good influence? What about that time when we were all like… Nine, I think? And me, you and Sasuke were being looked after by Itachi and Shisui."

Recalling the memory, he grinned. "That was an awesome night!"

"You made us watch The Exorcist!"

"Aw, you weren't scared, were you?"

Weren't scared? Sakura had been so scared of the ghosts and demons coming to get her that she had actually crept into Itachi's room and slept there instead. Even then, sleep hadn't been good for her. It wasn't until he and Shisui proved to her that the movie wasn't actually real that Sakura had been able to relax.

"Of course I wasn't!"

"Sakura."

She tensed in Naruto's arms and it wasn't until Sakura nodded once to the blond that he allowed her to turn and face the one who had called her name. It was the one they had been talking about. Her grandmother. Naruto couldn't remember what side of the family the old woman was on, although considering how she was well dressed and kind of a snob, he was guessing it was her father's side. Kazashi had always been from a rich background. Mebuki had too, but it wasn't until she was much older that she became _rich_.

Seeing that that was the only greeting she would be receiving in return, her grandmother straightened up. "I came to ask you about what would happening to the house–"

Naruto's eyes went wide. "You can't be serious!"

"Quiet, Naruto." Sakura told him softly before narrowing her eyes on the old woman. "Hello, grandmother. How long has it been? Two, maybe three years? I think you might have forgotten where I lived, or lost my number," she put on a breathy laugh, "because I haven't heard from you in _ages_!"

The old woman frowned. "Sakura–"

"Did you hear what happened?" she questioned quietly, serious once more. "To me, I mean."

"…I did."

There was a pause where Sakura bit her lip and looked away, her fears being true. "And that's why I never heard from you or anybody else on dad's side of the family."

Her grandmother sighed. "We couldn't understand why you would try to take your own life, Sakura. You had everything a girl your age needed! A family, a roof over your head and more money than you could spend–"

"How about happiness?" Sakura frowned, ignoring the way Naruto squeezed her softly in warning. "How about the fact that I'm mentally unstable? Or maybe, _maybe_, it was because I was raped and then went on to being held against my will whilst a man used my body to make money! Is that a good enough reason for wanting to kill myself?"

Naruto looked around quickly and when he found his parents, he gestured for them to intervene before it _really_ got nasty, before Sakura said anything more that she would most likely regret.

"If you had come to visit me, I would have told you… perhaps not everything, but part of the reason why I just couldn't stand to live with myself."

"Mental disorders are just fancy words–"

It took a surprising amount of effort for Naruto to hold Sakura back.

"What _the fuck_ would you know, huh?" she screamed, everybody and everything stopping abruptly at the pure rage in her voice. "You haven't spoken to me since I tried to kill myself – you and the rest of dad's side practically disowned us for it! How the hell can you stand there, questioning me and the things that have happened, and then go on to ask about what's happening to the _house_?" Naruto quickly shifted as Kakashi grabbed Sakura into a restraining hold, just about managing to keep her from lunging at the old woman. "Why the fuck are you even here, besides the fact that you're a money–grabbing, stuck up, nasty leech?"

"Enough, Sakura." Kushina told her, standing in front of her with a serious look in her eyes. "Despite everything, this is still your father's mother. We know what she has done – what all of them have done – is wrong, but remember that your parents wouldn't like you talking to people like this, especially not your grandmother."

Sakura suddenly stilled in Kakashi's hold, making him sigh with relief and shake his head at Tsunade, who was watching intently from across the room. She no longer had to get involved. That would only mean trouble for everyone. "Grandmother?" she scoffed, eyeing the shaken up old woman with disgust as other family members spoke quietly to her. "I don't have a grandmother."

Kushina's eyes saddened on her before she nodded with acceptance and turned to face the other family members. Deep down, she and Minato had known there would be tension, but they honestly hadn't expected something like that. "Forgive me, Ayaka–san, but it will probably be best if you and your family left now." when nobody moved and did nothing except stare in outrage, the redhead's features shifted into rage and Naruto instinctively took a wary, slow step back. "I said _leave_!"

They did so without another word.

"Sakura…"

Glancing over at the Sabaku family, Sakura regarded them for a moment before telling everyone, "No matter what happens, don't let them get their dirty hands on any of my parents' possessions."

Sasuke scowled after the others. "Was she really asking about the house?"

"Yeah." Naruto answered. "She wanted to know what Sakura would be doing with it."

She shook her head, telling them honestly, "If I make any decisions right now, I'd have the cursed place burnt to the ground." taking a deep breath as Itachi handed her a cold glass of her favourite fizzy drink, she added quietly, "I can't do that, though. They worked too hard on making it feel like a home."

Gaara followed Sasuke's eyes, watching as the old woman looked over her shoulder at Sakura with hateful eyes. However, as those eyes met with his and Sasuke's, she soon looked away and followed after the other Haruno family members. Disgusting woman. And, despite never truly getting along, as his eyes met Sasuke's, it was like a silent promise was shared between them.

Nobody would ever hurt Sakura. Whether it was mentally, emotionally or physically.

"Gaara?"

He turned back to his fiancée. "Yes?"

"I… I want to go home, if that's okay. Everyone else can stay but this just…"

No words were needed for Gaara to understand. Whilst others may have felt like they were celebrating the lives of Haruno Kazashi and Mebuki, Sakura did not feel the same way.

"Of course it's okay." he told her quietly.

"Here's your bag and jacket, Sakura." Ino stated as she handed them over and by her side, Sai handed Gaara his. "Just say the word and I'll socially destroy them all."

Sakura laughed weakly, as did the others. "Thanks, pig." glancing around, she bit her lip. "I'm really sorry that you all had to see that."

Minato shook his head. "I know what Ayaka can be like, Sakura. I'm sorry that I didn't turn her and the others away when they turned up."

Nodding, Sakura looked back up at Gaara and without a word, he took her home.

* * *

**A/N - I haven't been to a funeral in years, so I wasn't too sure on what goes on. If I've made any small errors there, please tell me!**

**Kind of a downer chapter, in all honesty. I didn't even realise that until I was just reading it through.**

**I think the short hiatus did me some good, because I've just got my results back for my online-screening exams (you get the results much sooner than the paper exams) and I got an A* in finance, and three marks off full marks in maths. Apparently I got the highest scores out of all those who took the exam! I was so shocked at that, because in school, I was awful at maths and originally got an E in the exam.**


	21. Bad Things Come In Threes

**Chapter 21 – Bad Things Come In Threes**

Warm and gentle kisses were littered along her neck, joining pants for breath as she was nuzzled by Gaara, but what was really getting her attention was the hand stroking her side, was that very same hand bringing her hips closer to his, the tip of his erection pushing against her. Sakura smiled. Even though it sometimes didn't seem like it, one way or another, Gaara always found some way of asking if it was okay.

Pushing her hips back against his, Sakura gasped his name and her hand swung behind her to grab his hair, trying to pull him closer, when Gaara entered her.

They were supposed to be getting up by now, as no doubt Ao wanted to go on his walk and then come back to a large bowl filled with food, however, it was just so cold. Their bed was just so warm and it became even warmer when Sakura had felt Gaara shifting in bed earlier that morning, pulling her closer and against him so that her back was to his chest. It had gone from there.

When the weather started to turn cold, it was a known fact that people got lazy, or lazier. It got harder to leave the comfort of your home or bed. Sakura and Gaara were no exception to that. They hadn't even shifted from their spooning position before he started to make love to her.

Pretty much all of their mornings started with sex, though. The only difference was that when it was warmer outside of the sheets, things had a tendency to get a little dirty. When autumn and winter came along, however, things settled down and their hot morning sex became passionate lovemaking.

The panting against her neck increased as Gaara grabbed her leg and lifted it ever so slightly, angling his hips and hitting a spot within her that was very well known to him by now. He smirked softly at her reaction, watching as Sakura's mouth fell open and her hips began a grinding movement against his thrusts, eager to feel more of that feeling. Gaara gave it to her without complaint, making sure he gently and slowly repeated with hitting that spot.

Pressing his lips to the back of her neck, Gaara shut his eyes tightly and increased his pace as he felt her tightening around him.

He'd always liked morning sex. Yes, he liked all sex with Sakura, but morning sex… There was something different about it. Gaara wasn't too sure as to what was so different, but something was definitely different about it. It felt like they were even closer.

When their orgasms claimed them, they were like their lovemaking. Slow and intimate.

Gaara's body curled around her own as they came down from their highs, embracing her warmly and in such a way that it made Sakura feel incredibly relaxed and safe. God she loved that man. For the past couple of months, it was because of him that she'd even bothered getting out of bed in the mornings. Having him there, by her side and helping her stand, meant so much more than anybody would ever realise. Sakura knew she would never be able to express how much it actually meant to her.

He was the reason why she got out of bed in the mornings, why she bothered to continue with her recovery.

It had been a whole month now since the funeral and now that she had had time to calm down, Sakura felt disappointed with herself for allowing her grandmother to get to her in such a way. Yes, that day had been an extremely difficult day for her and yes, she had every right to be upset but… But it had been her parents' day. Not hers. Not that woman's. Her parents'. Nothing but Kazashi and Mebuki should have mattered.

When they had returned that night, Sakura had gone for a nap, although when Gaara came in not long after to join her, he'd found his fiancée sitting on the bed with photo albums and loose photographs scattered around the bed. She'd told him that _that_ was how she wanted to celebrate their life. Not by getting drunk and eating food, but by sharing stories of her parents, telling him memories of all their times together. Gaara had even been surprised when he found out that Mebuki used to ride a motorbike, and that _Kazashi_ was the one holding onto _her_.

It also surprised him just how many pictures there were, and how each of them had so many different stories to tell.

A week after the funeral, Sakura had returned home to find a large canvas picture of her parents together. Not the picture from the funeral, even though that one had been beautiful. It was the one Sakura had shown Gaara, her favourite picture of them together on Mebuki's motorbike back in their early twenties. They looked so happy in that picture. They looked so madly in love.

"We need to get up and walk Ao." Sakura murmured even though she snuggled closer to him. "Otherwise he's going to pee in the living room."

That was true. Taking a moment to breathe in slowly, Gaara reopened his eyes and reluctantly pulled back the sheets, leaving their bare bodies as victims to the cold air that met them. He smirked at Sakura's reaction, as she acted more like she had been fatally wounded, before Gaara shifted over her and stood up, dragging his fiancée to the edge of the bed. Realising what he was doing, Sakura lifted her arms and smiled lovingly as Gaara picked her up bridal style.

"Before anything, we need to shower." he told her with a kiss.

Yeah, Sakura thought as she returned that kiss, they did.

* * *

Adjusting her scarf as they climbed out the car, Sakura buried her chin and nose into it, desperately trying to keep warm. It was the beginning of October and already the temperature was rapidly dropping, meaning they were definitely going to be having a white winter this year. As another attempt to keep warm, Sakura had her dark jeans tucked into her knee high socks, which were then covered by her knee high boots except for the top part of the socks, as she was too cold and lazy to fix them. To go with it, Sakura had on a long sleeved t–shirt with a leather jacket and, obviously, her scarf. By her side, Gaara was dressed as equally ready for winter, like it had already hit them.

"I feel like Kakashi." Sakura told him as she opened the back door and grabbed Ao's lead before allowing him to jump out of the car too. Her voice was muffled by her scarf, but just like her socks, she couldn't be bothered trying to fix it. "He's always got his face covered."

Smirking, Gaara took her other hand and held it in his, putting them both in his jacket pocket. "We will go home after this and put the fire on." he told her, walking close to her and trying to share as much body heat as possible. "And pick up some takeout for breakfast on the way back."

She grinned behind her scarf. "Another movie day? Can we bring the blanket out too?"

"I think it would be best." Gaara muttered, barely suppressing a shudder. He'd never been a fan of the cold. Staying in with the fire on, drinking hot cups of tea and wrapped up in each other's arms as well as a thick blanket, sounded like heaven at that moment in time. It was simply too cold for anything else. "Any movie you have in mind?"

"Hm." leaning down for a moment once the park gates and the main road were both out of sight, Sakura took Ao's lead off his harness, watching as he sprinted down the path and onto the grass. Shoving the hand with his lead into her other pocket, she leaned more fully against Gaara, feeling rather content despite the bad weather. "We said we wanted to watch that new horror that came out not too long ago, didn't we?"

Thinking about it for a moment and trying to remember, Gaara nodded. "It should be on there by now."

God bless 'Netflix', Sakura thought.

Had this been a few years ago, the fact that she no longer went out at night to get drunk would have bothered her. A few years ago, every single weekend, she, Ino, Naruto and Sasuke were out at one party or another. Now? Now, Sakura was content with sitting in and simply being with Gaara. That part of her life was truly over and done with. Like Naruto had said at the funeral, her card for being able to have a drink had been revoked. Nobody trusted her to have just the one and she honestly couldn't blame them for it.

No, Sakura was not settling for staying in just because she couldn't drink, as you didn't have to drink to have a good time. It was just… more comfortable. Everything else right at that moment in time was rocky and so unsure. That was a part of her life that wasn't like that. Gaara made her feel safe, and gave her stability and comfort and love and so many different things.

"Do you have the ball?" Sakura asked into her scarf.

Instead of replying, Gaara waited until Ao was whirling around to face them, preparing himself for what was about to happen. He smirked, pulling away from Sakura for a moment before throwing the ball as hard as he possibly could, both watching as Ao tore up the grass and mud when the ball went high above him, chasing after it down the park. The moment Ao was running, Gaara pulled Sakura to him once more and continued with their walk.

Other than playing with Kakashi's dogs and occasionally with Akamaru, this was the most exercise Ao got. Not very good for a dog of his size, but there was little they could do about it. At least three walks a day and during every single walk, they completely exhausted him with all the running and ball throwing. It was a hell of a lot more than some dogs got, anyway.

"It's Naruto's birthday in a few weeks."

So it was. "What should we get him?" Sakura asked, biting her lip before adding, "More like what _can_ we get him, actually."

Gaara was silent for a few moments as they walked, smirking softly when he saw Ao finally catch the ball, tearing up more of the grass when turning back to them. That dog was always filthy when they returned from the park. _Always_. "I'm sure he will be grateful for whatever he is given." Saying that, though… "Perhaps we should buy him Ichiraku's owner."

Sakura laughed. "Illegal, but it's definitely something he'll love."

When Ao returned, Gaara once again threw the ball for him. "We could just give him money."

"No, we can't!" she sighed, shaking her head. "There's no sentiment in that. We want to get him something that's meaningful and that he'll actually like."

"He enjoys fighting, doesn't he?"

She was thoughtful for a second. "It's not that he _enjoys_ it – I mean he does, but it's not just about that. As you've probably already noticed, Naruto's got _a lot_ of energy." Who hadn't noticed? "And as a way to release some of that, he took up quite a few sports. Fighting was his favourite. I can't remember the actual name of the fighting sport he took up, though."

Yes, Gaara could recall Naruto mentioning something about that, but also that he hadn't been able to go in a while. "A local dojo."

"Yeah!"

Gaara smiled at her excitement. "We could buy him a pass for a year access at the local dojo."

Sakura grinned. "And maybe treat him to a few bowls of ramen."

Once more throwing the ball for Ao, Gaara smirked. "I have a feeling he'll be receiving a lot of ramen."

"Oh that's why his birthday is his favourite time of year. Nobody ever knows what to get Naruto, so they all treat him to ramen."

He shook his head, smirk still in place. "Why am I not surprised?"

Silence for a moment and seeing the happiness fading away, Gaara's features also became more solemn. "I've been thinking about the house…"

"Oh?"

"Mm." she hummed, then murmured, "I can't live there again, Gaara. Not after everything that's happened there. The other day, I drove by it. Just to… see it. I couldn't get any further than the opening to the drive. It's too hard."

Gaara squeezed her hand comfortingly. "Nobody is expecting it to be easy for you, Sakura."

Sakura nodded, her eyebrows knitting together. "I think I want to sell it."

Eyes going wide, Gaara pulled her to a stop before watching her, giving her a serious expression. "Are you sure that's what you want, Sakura? Despite the bad things that happened, you grew up in that house. It was your parents'."

"I know, but if I don't then it's just going to be left to collect dust and I know they wouldn't want that. That house… All they'd ever wanted was to make people happy, Gaara. If I sold it to a family and it made them happy, it would make my mom and dad happy, too, knowing that something they worked _so hard_ on, wasn't going to waste."

Pulling Sakura to him, Gaara sighed and kissed her forehead. "This is something you should think about some more, Sakura." he told her quietly, looking down into her eyes. "You have to make sure that it's really what you want. Once it's gone…" he sighed. "It's an impressive house, Sakura. You probably won't be able to ever get it back."

Again, she nodded. "I will. I'm going to think it over for another few weeks, a month at most. If I still feel this way, then it's gone. I don't want to burn it to the ground anymore," a small smirk graced both of their lips at the memory of her telling everyone that, "but I still don't like it. It's not home anymore. Not without them."

The rest of the walk was in silence, both content with simply being with each other and taking turns in throwing Ao's ball for him. It was on the third lap around the park that they decided it was time to head back. It wasn't as cold as it had been when they first got there, but it wasn't exactly warm, either. Plus, they had a whole day of doing absolutely nothing but relaxing planned and neither could wait.

"Come on, Ao!" Sakura shouted to him and immediately, he was running over to her and Gaara with his ball in his mouth. "Good boy!"

Once he was on his harness, they began walking in the direction of Gaara's car with Sakura patting Ao's head as he nudged her hip softly. At her other side, Gaara rolled his eyes, eyeing the ball covered in dog drool with hidden disgust. Yes, he cared for Ao, but that didn't mean he liked seeing or touching his drool. Just the thought made him secretly cringe. So, when he dropped his ball, Gaara sighed.

"There's no way I'm picking that thing up." Sakura muttered, also feeling the same way about his ball. "Get it, Ao."

So he did.

And that was when the car hit him.

* * *

**A/N - Please don't kill me! Hahaha. As the chapter title says: bad things come in threes!**

**Okay so I got a guest review the other day from someone who seemed kind of pissed off about the funeral chapter (last chapter). So... this is to whoever left that review:**

**Like I said, I've only been to one funeral years ago and yes, it had been a Christian funeral considering he was a Christian. That doesn't mean I'm a Christian though and I think it's wrong that you tried to slam me for that. Saying that I made the funeral Christian just because I am one? Erm... Hate to break it to you, but I'm not Christian. I'm not Catholic, not Muslim and not Buddhist. I don't have a religion. I'm not saying that I don't believe in a God, because who knows what's what. All I'm saying is that I've never been christened or brought up to follow a particular religion. My mum wanted to give me the choice of choosing my own religion and what I want to believe in, not forcing me to believe and follow what she believes.**

**I actually find it quite offensive how you brought up my apparent religion just because the funeral was in a certain way. I'm sorry if you don't like Christians, or the way their funerals work.**

**I'm a limited writer? How about _you_ write something you know very little about and the research you do, tells you all kinds of different things. It's all confusing as fuck. So it's not that I didn't do any research, it was finding the right sort of funeral for Kazashi and Mebuki without making it drag and in the end, I couldn't. So I gave them a joint funeral to show that they'd be eternally together. All that was in the funeral chapter was a priest, people carrying the coffins and the eulogy.**

**So yeah. Rant over hahaha.**


	22. He's Like A Child To Her

**Chapter 22 – He's Like A Child To Her**

Sakura was too shocked to move as the harness was ripped out of her hand, as she watched Ao go underneath the car. Even the sharp pain that suddenly flared in her wrist didn't knock her out of her state of shock.

It was the puppy–like yelp of pure agony that came from Ao that did it and immediately, uncaring about other cars, Sakura ran out into the road, _screaming _his name desperately, not even paying attention to the car that suddenly sped off down the road. The only thing that stopped her from getting hit by other cars was Gaara also rushing out into the road as well as three other passing pedestrians. Sakura could see none of them as her eyes locked onto the broken form of Ao.

He was whimpering and trying so hard to get back up, but his body wouldn't respond and when it did, it caused him great agony. Sakura was shaking and sobbing as she fell to her knees beside him, as she shushed him gently and petted his head, the only part of his body that wasn't badly damaged. His eyes locked on hers and she could see his pain through them, could see that he was terrified. She was too. Ao was her best friend, her protector. Her _baby_.

Another sob shook her body as Sakura leaned over him, as her hands fluttered uselessly over his body. "It's okay." she told him as softly as possible, despite the fact she was crying. "You're okay." As her hands came to rest on his side, he jolted and whined loudly, the sound torturing her and when she pulled her hands away, she gave a sharp cry when they were covered in blood.

Gaara quickly knelt by her side, seeming just as stunned as her as he pulled her phone out of her pocket, going through her contacts until he found a certain number.

It only rang twice.

"_Sakura?"_

"It's Gaara." his voice wasn't as composed as he had hoped. "Kiba, where are you?"

"_Just doing a run for my sister, why?"_

Sakura sobbed loudly as she gently stroked Ao's face after wiping the blood on her jeans, giving him a soft kiss on the nose and in response, Gaara felt his chest tighten. "There's… Ao's been in an accident. Is there any chance you–"

"_Ao? Where are you?_" Gaara quickly told him where they were, at what entrance of the park. "_I'll be there in five minutes. Try and stay calm because otherwise it'll freak him out even more."_

With that, he hung up the phone. Gaara shoved it in his pocket before telling Sakura that Kiba was on his way. He didn't think she could hear him as she was crying too loudly, even when he told her to try and stay calm. It seemed all she could focus on was Ao, on his quivering chest as he tried desperately to breathe, on the blood that was flowing freely from his wounds, from the whimpers and whines that kept coming from him.

The pedestrians behind him acted like a sort of guard, waving their arms at cars so that they wouldn't also be hit. They didn't need to do that, really. After all, he had red hair and Sakura had pink hair. It was kind of hard to miss them. But saying that, somebody had still hit Ao. Gaara gritted his teeth. Sakura hadn't seemed to notice it, but he had. Whoever had hit him had been aiming for _her_. They had still been on the sidewalk! Ao had been _dragged _into the road when the car had hit him.

It felt like forever had passed before Kiba arrived, his eyes wide and face going deathly pale at the scene before him. As he and Gaara (with the help of the pedestrians) lifted Ao as gently as they possibly could, Sakura stuck close by his side, refusing to leave his line of sight for even a second. Then, she sat in the back seat with him, resting his large head on her lap as she continued to speak to him softly as though he was her child. Neither man would admit it, but it almost had them in tears. In fact the woman who had been helping them _had _been crying. The man with her had taken down the numberplate of the car who hit Ao and passed it to Gaara before they left.

Kiba drove as fast as he could without causing any more pain to Ao because of speed bumps or getting into trouble by speeding. He was worried though and the look on the Inuzuka's face had Gaara clenching his fists tightly.

"It's okay." Sakura told Ao shakily, giving him a soft smile. He hadn't looked away from her eyes once. "I'm here. You'll be okay, I promise. I won't let anything happen to you."

Sakura felt like such a liar. How could she tell him that she wouldn't let anything happen to him? Look what had just happened! It was because of her that he had been hit! If she had just picked up that stupid ball then he would never have been hurt.

"We'll buy you a new ball." she told him as she realised they had lost it. "An even better one." When he gave a wheezy huff, Sakura sobbed once again. "Not a squeaky one! You'll drive me even more mad than what I already am." He whimpered. "Okay, okay. I'll buy you a squeaky one. How's that? When we get home, I'll buy you lots and lots of squeaky toys!"

Gaara had to look away. Just one look at Kiba's face at that moment in time told him that there might not be a chance of Ao coming home with them that evening.

When they arrived at the veterinary clinic where his sister worked, Sakura allowed them to once again take Ao from her, though like before, she was right behind them.

It felt like it went in slow motion as Ao was taken away from her and in response to his whimper of fear, Sakura tried to go after him, but Gaara quickly caught her and pulled her against him. "They need to focus on Ao, Sakura." he told her quietly as one of his hands came to rest on the back of her head, holding her as she trembled and cried in his arms. "They will take care of him."

"He's… He's going to be okay." she whispered. "He's going to be okay."

Gaara shut his eyes and for the first time in his life, he prayed that it _would_ be okay. He prayed that Ao would make it. He prayed that Sakura wouldn't have to lose somebody else she loved. Ao may be a dog, but he was like a child to her. The bond they had, the connection… They were connected through their pasts, through the abuse they had had to go through.

For just once in her life, Gaara prayed that Sakura would receive good news instead of bad.

"I'll go and get you both some coffee from the shop across the road." Kiba muttered, still just as pale as before. "There's no telling how long they'll be, but I promise you, Sakura, my sister will do what she can for Ao."

She couldn't answer him. She couldn't. So instead, Gaara nodded his thanks to the Inuzuka and continued to hold Sakura.

* * *

Seven torturous hours later, Hana came out of the operating room, looking absolutely exhausted both physically and emotionally. In an instant Kiba was by her side and both Sakura and Gaara were standing, though Sakura didn't move from his embrace for a second, like she was trying to shield herself from the words in case they were bad.

"Hana," Kiba asked, his voice desperate, "is Ao…?"

"It took a while, but he's stable." Sakura sobbed with relief and Gaara tightened his hold, sighing as he felt as though a great weight had been lifted from his chest. "However, I want to keep him here for a week or two. Ao's injuries are extreme and he's still not in the clear, but I promise you, Sakura, Gaara, I will do everything I can to help him." she nodded shakily. "Also because of his injuries, I'm going to keep him unconscious for a few days otherwise it will be too much pain for him to handle."

Again, Sakura nodded. "Can I see him? Please?"

Hana gave her a small smile and nodded once, gesturing for the three of them to follow her. As they did, Sakura never let go of Gaara for a second.

"He's bandaged up and unconscious right now." Hana explained to them as she opened the door. "And we had to shave parts of his body so that we could stitch him up."

"Just as long as he's okay." Sakura whispered, her tears still falling. "I don't care what he looks like, just as long as he's okay."

She really didn't. Ao could have lost a leg and she wouldn't have cared. Well, she would have a little because it'd be a struggle for him to get used to it. He already had a few scars from when he had been abused by his previous owners and she knew that once he was back to full health, Ao would be showing off how mean he looked to not only the other dogs at the park, but also to Akamaru and Kakashi's dogs.

When they were brought to where Ao was being kept, Sakura took a deep, shaky breath and stepped towards him, her hands hovering over his badly broken and beaten body before settling on his head. She leaned down, kissing his nose softly. Whenever she had done that previously – except for seven, nearly eight hours ago when he had been in too much agony to react – Ao would lick her face or playfully nip at her, though he would never actually nip her face. The only places he nipped were her hands.

"When you get better, I'll get you a big, juicy steak." she told him, petting him gently. "I'll even let you sit on the sofa." closing her eyes, she kissed his nose again. "Get well soon, Ao, because I'm going to get lonely in the mornings! I love you."

Gaara stepped forward when Sakura stood up straight and he petted his head, silently promising the same things as Sakura and more. He owed a lot to this dog. Ao had saved Sakura when he had been unable to and since the moment Kiba introduced them, he had always stayed by her side, had always seemed connected to her emotions. They were both victims of abuse and they had bonded because of that. This next week was going to be torture for Sakura, Gaara knew that for a fact.

Taking her hand in his, Gaara frowned when she hissed in pain and looked down at it, only for his eyes widen. It was swollen and not only that, but it looked broken, too. And then he realised what must have happened. The lead to the harness had been yanked out of her hand.

"You need your hand looking at." Hana told her as she also got a look at it. "I'm not an expert on people, but it looks broken to me."

Sakura nodded numbly as Gaara accepted Ao's harness and Hana didn't miss the way his hand hesitated before he took it. It seemed despite looking emotionless, Gaara was just as worried and in pain as Sakura.

To Sakura, the rest of the day sitting around the emergency room passed in a blur. Shizune had been worried when she saw the state of Sakura, how dead her eyes seemed and the fact that her hands were covered in blood as well as her jeans from where Ao had been resting against her. When Shizune heard about Ao, she had hugged Sakura and told her that she hoped he would make a full recovery. It had been Gaara who thanked her. The entire time Sakura didn't say a word.

The ride home was silent. Due to leaving his car outside of the park, they had to take a cab, though that hardly bothered him. He'd either get somebody to pick it up for him, or simply get it himself tomorrow. Once they entered the building and reached their floor, Gaara inwardly sighed when he spotted Deidara and Sasori unlocking their door, obviously returning from somewhere. To make matters worse, they spotted the pair of them.

"Hey…" Deidara's voice trailed off as he saw the harness in Sakura's hand, how she was holding it to her chest as though it was a lifeline. The fact that she was covered in blood and had her right hand in a cast, didn't fail to capture his attention either. "Where's Ao?"

The glare that Gaara suddenly shot at him had Deidara freezing in his place and even Sasori seemed rather stunned by it. However, that wasn't what shocked them the most. It had been how Sakura burst into tears and ran into her and Gaara's home, leaving Gaara to face the two men by himself.

"Gaara?"

He looked up at Sasori, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "We were on our way back from walking Ao when he was hit by a car." Deidara's eyes widened and even though he wasn't supposed to feel anything for the girl he was watching, he did, because he knew how much that dog meant to her. Gaara's voice trembled with barely suppressed anger as he slapped a piece of paper into Sasori's hand. "I know that you're a member of Akatsuki and I know that you're watching us. I've known for a while now and have been watching you both just as closely. I've never said anything about it, though, because for some reason that I can't understand, you're protecting Sakura. Whoever hit Ao had been aiming for Sakura. Find them and bring them to me."

Sasori raised an eyebrow and looked down at the note with emptiness. "And just what do you plan on doing with them?"

"It depends on how I feel at the time." he told him coldly. "Right now, Sakura needs me and I'm not going to leave her side."

Deidara nodded once, ignoring the glare Sasori sent him. "We'll track the bastard down, yeah." Then, his eyes trailed over to the still open door of Sakura and Gaara's home. It was strange, but Deidara couldn't even deny that he was expecting Ao to come charging out at any moment. "Is Ao…?"

"He'll live." Gaara said quietly, also looking over at the door and expecting the very same thing to happen. "But it's going to be a long recovery for both him and Sakura."

"She cares a lot about the dog."

Again, Gaara glared at Sasori. "He's more than just a dog to Sakura. He saved her from Kabuto and has always been by her side. She thinks of him as her child."

With that, he stormed into the home he shared with Sakura, slamming the door shut behind him.

When he found Sakura, she was in the bathroom and on her knees, throwing up into the toilet. Everything about her screamed pain, desperation and fear. The way she clung to the toilet, the look on her face as her eyes squeezed shut… _Everything_. Without a word, he moved over to the sink and looked inside her cabinet, grabbing a hair tie and once he had it, Gaara went to Sakura and tied her hair back so that it was off her face, rubbing her back when it was done.

"He's safe." Gaara told her softly, continuing to rub her back soothingly. "Hana saved him for us, Sakura. Ao's going to be okay."

"I don't want to be like this." Sakura whispered as the retching stopped. "I don't want to feel like this. I want to be normal. I want everything to be normal like it is for everyone else!"

His heart broke for her. "You're normal, Sakura. You're a normal person. It's not your fault these things happen to you." When Sakura was certain she wouldn't be sick, she finally let go of the toilet and instead clung to Gaara, still holding the harness tightly. "What happened today could have happened to anyone." It made _him_ feel sick lying to her like that, but Sakura hadn't known that the car was aiming for her. To her, it was just a coincidence and Gaara would like to keep it that way, to save her the pain of knowing what really happened. "But remember that even though those bad things have happened to you," Gaara cupped her face, giving her a serious look, "good things have also happened, too. Don't forget about the good things in your life."

Slowly, she nodded.

"Come," he murmured, pulling the pair of them to their feet, "let's get you cleaned up."

* * *

**A/N - OF COURSE I COULDN'T KILL AO!**

**Aw, you were all so shocked or angry or upset in your reviews. Hope you're glad to know that he's going to make a full recovery!**

**...But will Sakura? ;-)**


	23. You Have To Help Me

**Chapter 23 – You Have To Help Me**

Sakura stepped around the corner, glaring murderously at the front door as whoever it was continued to pound on it.

It had been a week since the accident, yet Ao was still being kept unconscious and would be for another day or so. Apparently there had been some internal bleeding that they hadn't noticed until a few days ago, but thankfully nothing too severe. Another week and her beloved dog would hopefully be home with her.

At that moment in time, Gaara had gone to the shop for her as they needed some more milk and a few snacks, so there was nobody but herself to answer the door, which Sakura was reluctant to do. Whoever it was should learn how to knock properly! _Then_ and _only then_ would she think about opening the damn door!

"_Sakura! Damn it. If you're in there, please open up_!"

No way…

That couldn't be!

"_Please, Sakura!"_

Forgetting about her anger, Sakura threw the door open and stared with wide eyes at the sight that met her. "M–Moegi?"

That couldn't be Moegi… It couldn't be! This girl looked so much different. Haggard. _Ill_. _Dirty_! What the hell…?

"You have to help me." she whispered desperately, clinging to Sakura. _"Please_."

* * *

To say that Gaara was stunned when he returned home would be an understatement. They had planned on making breakfast, relaxing for a few hours and then he would be doing his paperwork, whilst Sakura would be catching up with assignments she had missed due to her episode.

However, the second the door shut behind him, Sakura popped out from around the corner, a hesitant smile on her face.

"What's happened?"

That smile dropped for a moment before returning. "Nothing bad." She hoped. "I just… need you to be open minded about something for a moment."

Which meant he would probably be against whatever she was doing, or had done. So, instead of replying, he narrowed his eyes.

Sakura sighed. Such a stubborn man. "Look, while you were gone, somebody called by and, uh…"

When she didn't continue, Gaara walked by her and made his way to the living room, only to stop at the sight of a young girl sitting on the sofa. She looked an utter wreck! Was Sakura bringing stray kids in now? What the hell was this?

"Gaara, you remember Moegi, right?" Sakura asked quietly from behind him, making Gaara's eyes widen. "From the Hyuuga dinner party?"

That… _That mess_ was _Moegi_?

How she had fallen…

Gaara shook the horrid thoughts from his head and turned back to Sakura. Obviously something bad had happened for the girl to look like that. At the dinner party, she'd been all dolled up. Now, she looked like she hadn't seen a shower or a change of clothes in days.

"She needs help." Sakura continued to speak quietly so that Moegi wouldn't hear them. "I don't know what kind of help yet, but she nearly banged down the door and asked me to help her. _Begged me to help her_! Gaara, I couldn't say no… Look at her!" He was silent, though nodded once. "I'm dreading even asking about what's happened. What if what happened to me, happened to her?"

It honestly looked possible given the fact Moegi looked an absolute wreck, shaking and occasionally twitching. So, again, Gaara nodded and seeing that he was agreeing, Sakura sighed with relief and made her way over to Moegi, the couple sitting opposite her on the other sofa.

Before they could ask her, though, she spoke up.

"Can I ask you guys a question?" Moegi asked sheepishly.

"Sure."

"How do you know when you're in love?"

Sakura sat up straighter, her lips pursing for a moment as she exchanged a look with Gaara. However, as her eyes met his, a warm smile graced her lips and she turned back to Moegi. "Love is acceptance. It makes you feel all kinds of things, but that's what sticks out to me the most. With Gaara," she shrugged, pushing a piece of hair behind her ear, "he makes me feel accepted like nobody else has before. He knows all about me, knows about all my problems and not once has Gaara promised me, when things get really bad, that everything is okay." At her confused look, Sakura smiled. "But he promised me that I'd never be alone whilst going through those things. I'm happy. We're happy."

Her answer made Moegi frown. "So there's none of that butterfly bullshit?"

"Oh, there's loads of that!" Sakura waved her hand dismissively, not missing the soft smile that suddenly graced the auburn haired girl's lips. "Even now, he still gives me butterflies. And there's heat, fire."

"A lot of it." Gaara added quietly.

"Heat?"

A blush graced Sakura's cheeks. "Intimacy, Moegi."

"You mean sex?"

"Not entirely, but kind of." Sakura argued.

Noticing the confusion on Moegi's features had Gaara sighing. This was not how he had planned to spend his Saturday morning. Explaining love and giving 'the talk' to a kid. Shit. Shouldn't this be illegal or something? If it wasn't, it should be. This was just downright awkward and uncomfortable for him – even worse than that talk he had with Naruto. With Sakura, Gaara didn't mind discussing sex because usually, by the end of the conversation, they would be having sex. There wasn't a chance in hell he was sleeping with the kid sitting on the other sofa. Even if he wasn't in love with Sakura he would not touch her, and not just because she was a kid. Moegi looked rough, like she hadn't slept in days. No, she looked ill.

Continuing with her previous statement, Sakura went on to say, "Sure, there's many different kinds of sex. There's I–love–you sex, angry sex, there's I–miss–you sex and there's the we're–not–supposed–to–be–fucking sex, uh…"

"Make up sex."

She nodded her thanks to Gaara. "Make up sex. There's even casual flings to release all your frustrations. But there's also intimacy, which is a totally different thing altogether."

"I didn't know that." Moegi said thoughtfully, glancing down at the glass in her hands. "I thought it was just sex. I've never really felt anything more than that. It's just… They put it in me and we're having sex. Nothing more."

Gaara's eyes widened.

Sakura looked ready to choke on thin air. "You're already having sex? You're only fourteen!"

"Fifteen." the girl corrected with a glare. "And don't look down your nose at me! I can do whatever I want with my body."

This time, Gaara's eyes moved over to Sakura. After the trial and everybody discovering what happened to her, Sakura had come to cherish sex. No, it had been during their first time. She cherished their lovemaking and had even told him one time that if she could, she would take back everything in her past and do it the right way, with him. No heartbreaks, no pain…

"You're going down a dark path, Moegi." Sakura whispered softly, her eyes pleading. "Trust me on this."

"Trust you on this? You're sat here banging on about 'lovemaking' and 'intimacy' and shit like that! What the hell would you know about the – in your own words – other kinds of sex?"

Gaara felt like slapping the girl. Ignorant. She was so very ignorant. Of course, Gaara knew that not everybody watched or read the news, so there was a very small chance that Moegi didn't know about what happened to Sakura. However, that gave her no right to be saying such things. Despite the fact they had gone out together a couple of times, Moegi didn't know Sakura well enough to make such judgements.

"Let me tell you something." Sakura muttered, her eyes dropping to the glass in Moegi's hands. "I lost my virginity when I was fifteen years old. It wasn't out of love, but it had felt close to it. That had been intimacy and trust. I was lucky to have such a boy, now a man, take my virginity because the outcome could have been so much worse. If it hadn't been for that boost in confidence he gave to me, in the reactions he gave my body, I wouldn't have pursued a different relationship. This one was… I guess it was friends with benefits. I loved him and at first, I thought he didn't return those feelings. But I loved him so much that I continued with our… relationship."

The younger girl rolled her eyes and scratched her neck restlessly. "Look, I don't have time to listen to your life story. I don't want to listen to stories about how sex is such a great thing for you."

And that was when Sakura saw the look in Moegi's eyes, the look that had her own widening, had her features flushing red with anger, had her entire body shaking.

"You fucking idiot!" she screamed at the girl, shocking both Moegi and Gaara. "You're taking drugs, aren't you?" Gaara's eyes snapped to Moegi's, surprised to find her pupils dilated. It certainly explained why her appearance wasn't as great as it usually would be. The last time he had seen her, she had been all dressed up, her skin had been clear and her hair was shiny and well groomed. Now she looked the exact opposite. "Why would you do that to yourself?"

"Don't act like you're so much better than me!"

"Better than you?" Sakura spat angrily, glaring viciously at Moegi. "Moegi, you're going down the same dark, self–destructive path I was on. I got involved in drugs, in alcohol and I got so intoxicated that I had no recollection of what happened – I still don't, not fully! And that fucking terrifies me. I'm not talking about minutes or hours or days. I'm talking weeks. Two weeks. My mind is just blank and I can't remember a thing unless I think _really hard_ and I'm shown something of that time." she shook her head with disapproval. "Why would you do such a thing to yourself?"

It didn't surprise her when tears filled Moegi's eyes. Everybody had their reasons for turning to drugs. "It… It's like cutting. Makes me feel some relief for a short while until my next fix."

Gaara refused to show his shock and instead remained silent.

Her heart was aching for Moegi. "You didn't take my advice a while ago? To go to Tsunade–sama?"

She wiped under her eyes furiously. "No. My parents believe they've got the best. 'The best' can't even tell that I'm using. She can't tell that I'm still cutting unless she searches my body for the marks."

Sakura was startled to say the least. "She _searches_ you?"

"Used to." Moegi whispered, her voice hoarse. "I don't go there anymore." The sound of her phone ringing suddenly had Moegi paling and she was quick to look at Sakura desperately. "This was the only place I could think of to come to. I knew you'd understand."

"Dealers." Sakura mumbled. "You're in trouble with dealers, aren't you?"

Nodding quickly, Moegi glanced down at her bouncing knee, but her eyes darted straight back to Sakura's. Her eyes were filled with so many different emotions that neither Sakura nor Gaara could distinguish them. "I owe them money. Lots of money. And my parents… They said they won't give me more because I have nothing to show for my purchases. They're suspicious."

Bile rose in Sakura's throat. "How have you been paying for your drugs, Moegi?"

"Sleeping with them." she whispered. "They said that if I slept with them, it'll settle my debt. So I did. But then… I don't know. It's all got out of control and I don't know what to do anymore! The guy turned around and told me that it's not enough after I slept with him, started saying that I still need to pay up. So I put an ad online." Sakura closed her eyes at the sudden anger washing through her. "I got so many calls that it was hard keeping track of them all! And they made me feel special." Sakura's anger doubled at her words and it tripled when she opened her eyes and saw the stupidly soft smile on Moegi's face. "We chat for a while online, get to know one another. It was supposed to be just sex. I have sex with them, they pay me and I give the money straight to my dealer.

"But these guys were so sweet, Sakura! Mature guys know how to treat a girl right, not like the guys in school. These are real men. And I gave them my address, telling them the times they could come by, when my parents weren't home. They told me that I made them feel young again with all the sneaking around and secrecy."

Gaara's eyes narrowed and he fought back the disgust trying to show. In his eyes, at the end of the day, Moegi was just as much a victim as Sakura was. She had been taken advantage of. "Young again? How old are these men?"

"The oldest was in his fifties." she admitted quietly, once again scratching her neck. "But it's not as bad as it sounds. Sakura–"

"You're willingly sleeping with men well over twice your age?" Sakura repeated slowly, like she couldn't even understand the words. "You're meeting up with these men, giving them your address and details and…" Taking a deep breath didn't help in calming herself and by her side, Gaara watched her warily. "Do you have any idea what you're getting yourself into?"

Moegi's expression emptied, appearing defensive.

"You probably already know this considering it was all over the news, but I was raped."

This time, emotion did show on Moegi's face. She looked as though she pitied Sakura.

Gaara grimaced. It seemed Moegi didn't know Sakura hated being pitied.

"I have no idea how the guy found out so much about me, but the officer who was in charge of the case, Uchiha Shisui, told me that there was a possibility of him knowing who am I, finding out all of my personal details, from online. I had no idea how much of my life was posted on my profiles until I was informed about that. They brought up all my old posts, all my old pictures and messages…" Sakura tried her best to force back her tears. "Not _once_ was I _ever_ willing to _any of that_! What the hell are you playing at, Moegi? Why are you doing this to yourself?"

The girl stood up, shaking her head. "I don't have to listen to this. I thought you would understand and help me, not scold me like you're my mother."

Sakura was on her feet in an instant, ignoring Gaara as he tried to calm her down. "Over thirty times."

Pausing, she looked over at Sakura. "What?"

"That's how many times I was raped." This time, her tears were falling. "Not once, not twice, but over thirty times. And I could never do anything to stop it. I had absolutely no control over what happened to my own body. You think those guys want to take away your loneliness? You think they want to please you?" Sakura was yelling now as she grabbed Moegi's arm, forcing her to turn back to face her and almost causing the girl to trip over. "You're wrong, Moegi. _They want to hurt you_! They don't want you to be willing. They don't care about that. Fuck, some even get off on the struggling, on the begging and the pleading! All they want to do, is satisfy themselves and cause you pain. They want to feel powerful!"

"Sakura–"

She shook her head. "No, Gaara. She has to know that what she's doing is stupid! It's reckless and dangerous and I don't want her to end up like _me_!" Yanking her arm out of his hold, she tightened her own on Moegi, glaring down at her and ignoring the pained yelp. "I can't even sleep by myself anymore. The only way I can sleep is if Gaara is by my side, holding me, and if he isn't there, then Ao has to be next to me. I can't stand the thought of being alone. It petrifies me. Sometimes, when I close my eyes, I can still remember everything. I can still remember how it felt being pinned down and crying, screaming, _begging_ for them to let me go. I can remember the pain of being taken over and over again until I couldn't even walk and if that happened, I was beaten to the point where I could barely move and it was a struggle to even breathe."

Moegi was shaking, her eyes filled with tears.

"They're partly the reason behind why I wanted to die so badly. They took away every shred of happiness, of hope, that I had left. I couldn't even look myself in the mirror – I still can't! To me, my eyes are ugly. They're the eyes of a victim, which is what I am and if you carry on this way, you will be one too." she bit her lip for a moment before releasing it. "I have to live with this for the rest of my life. Almost every night, I have nightmares about what happened and it can take Gaara hours to calm me down. I don't want it to be the same for you, Moegi. I got lucky when I found Gaara. In my eyes, girls like me don't deserve guys like him.

"Don't do this to yourself. I'll take care of these guys for you and I will be here for you no matter what, but you have to promise me that you won't carry on like this. I don't want you to be hurt. I don't want you to have to suffer like I was made to."

"I–I'm so… so sorry!"

Releasing her arm, Sakura yanked Moegi against her, closing her eyes and trying her best to stop the tears. It wouldn't work. "It's going to be okay. I promise I'll fix this for you, Moegi."

* * *

It didn't take them long to find her.

The banging on her front door made her furious. With one last glance over her shoulder, watching as Moegi gave her a grateful smile and hid in the bathroom, Sakura made her way over to the door, throwing it open just in time to see Deidara glaring at the men who now had their backs to her. The blond looked angered, downright murderous.

"Oi, Sakura. Tell me these aren't your friends."

It seemed he knew these guys, too.

One was incredibly tall. Perhaps even taller than Shisui or Itachi and his dark hair was shaven, only about an centimetre or so long. She couldn't tell much more because of his back being to her, but the other man turned his head in her direction, glaring down at her before he smirked in a way that had her stomach lurching. Fucking pervert! The second man who was smirking at her had long brown hair that fell around his shoulders. He seemed like a pretty boy.

He reminded her of Zaku.

Obviously not in the looks department, as Zaku wasn't handsome (although he wasn't ugly either), but it was obvious what kind of guy this was.

"Are you Moegi–chan's friend?" he asked in a deep, smooth tenor.

Yeah, he was definitely like Zaku.

Her foot lashed out, catching the back of his knee and sending him down onto the ground and before he could get back up, she kicked him again.

"Stay the fuck away from Moegi." she spat.

There wasn't a chance in hell she was letting that kid be hurt the way she had. This guy reminded her so much of Zaku that it made her sick and as the first man turned to hit her, a fist suddenly connected with his cheek. Sakura couldn't help but smirk at the look on Gaara's features. This was the Gaara she had fallen for. Of course it wasn't a good thing that he was fighting, but there was a darkness about him that made her feel safe and protected. Gaara would never let anything happen to her.

Deidara tilted his head to the side, stunned.

What the hell kind of couple were they? Fighting together? Damn.

"Who the fuck are you guys?" the second man spat as he jumped back onto his feet. The first man took a little longer, wiping the blood from his lip with a shaking hand. "Where's Moegi? Get her out here."

"That little slut owes us." the first man spoke in a low and deadly voice.

Gaara folded his arms over his chest, looking bored with the pair of them. "How much?"

Sakura blinked in surprise. He wouldn't…?

"Ten grand."

"If I pay you the money," Gaara muttered darkly, his eyes boring into the men viciously, "you are not to contact Moegi. You don't go near her. If you do, I'll know. Is that understood?"

The second man straightened up, glaring down at Gaara. "Or you'll what? It's two against one. You can't–"

He was silenced by Gaara's fist.

"You fucking–"

The first man was knocked to the ground once more.

Sakura bit back a smirk. This was her Gaara.

* * *

After Gaara had stuffed the two bastards into the elevator and jammed it shut with the help of Deidara, the police had been called. Well, when Sakura said police, she meant Shisui. He always came to her rescue and when he heard about what had happened, Shisui had sent some of his best men to deal with the criminals, thanking her for telling him, as apparently, the two had been wanted for quite some time, though due to obvious reasons, they hadn't been too high on their priority list.

Tomorrow morning, Moegi would be questioned by Shisui himself and he told Sakura that he would apologise to her for not catching the two men sooner. "_All of her problems could have been avoided_," he'd told Sakura when she said it wasn't his fault, "_if I had put somebody else on the case. I will apologise to her tomorrow, Sakura. That is the very least she deserves_."

He was such a good man with a large caring heart, she thought sadly. However, it honestly wasn't his fault. She'd been putting pressure on him about the whole Orochimaru investigation, calling up every now and then to ask if there was anything new found out, or if there were any more leads. Sakura hadn't even thought that there might be other cases Shisui was in charge of.

Sakura glanced down at the trembling Moegi, watching how she flinched and grimaced and restlessly rubbed at her skin.

"Stop." she sighed, sitting down beside her with a look of exhaustion and sadness. "You're just going to hurt yourself."

"I've already done that." Moegi whispered and her eyes filled with tears. "My body…"

"Is aching." Sakura finished for her. "And you can't get comfortable. You feel on edge." The younger girl nodded quickly, tears slipping down her cheeks. "I promise you, Moegi, it gets better. You don't need that stuff to help you cope."

The look Moegi gave her was heartbreaking, her young face appearing much older than it should. Where had that young girl gone? Where was the confident girl who had strutted up to Sakura and her friends like she owned the place? That version of Moegi was no longer there. Or if she was, then she was buried deep inside of her, kicking and screaming to be let out again.

"But what… What if I relapse? What if I find something else to…"

Sakura scooted closer and took Moegi's pale, thin hand. It was trembling and cold and when she noticed, Sakura used her other hand to grab the throw on the back of the sofa, wrapping it around Moegi's shoulders. "That's one of the thoughts that goes through my mind every day. Only, not with drugs." she told her honestly, looking down at Moegi's hand. "There's always this little pessimistic voice in my head, whispering to me and telling me things." Eyebrows knitting together, fresh apple green eyes glanced over at Gaara's office door. It was open since Gaara was in there doing paperwork, meaning he would be able to hear her if she spoke loudly. She kept her voice low. "Sometimes, I come so close to slipping up, Moegi. _So close_."

Her eyes were fixed on hers intently, like she was absorbing every word deep into her mind so she would never forget them. "What do you do?"

Running her free hand through her hair, Sakura sighed. "I went to rehab." Moegi stilled, staring at her with wide eyes. "It's honestly not as bad as the psychiatric hospital – and you know you can trust my judgement on that. Rehab was… It wasn't pretty, I'll admit that, but… They make you feel so welcome. It's hard, though. I went there because I had a dependency on alcohol. Again. Not only that, but those thoughts, those suicidal thoughts, came back to me."

"A–And did it help? Rehab, I mean."

"It did." Her eyes lowered once more before meeting Moegi's, surprising the younger girl with the serious look in her eyes. "Moegi, there was a reason you were asking about love earlier, wasn't there?" She nodded quickly again. "I'm not going to make you talk about that person, but just please take this piece of advice to heart: don't let that person go. I know what those thoughts in your head are saying. Perhaps not fully, but I know enough to know that it's tearing you apart. Just like they were tearing me apart. If you keep that person close to you, if you let them help you, it–"

Moegi shook her head sadly, closing her eyes. "He won't want me. Not like this."

Just as the young girl was about to pull away, Sakura released her hand and gently cupped her face, forcing her to look back at her. "Then do something about it. You can't honestly say that you like this version of yourself. I know I don't." she gave Moegi a warm smile, wiping the tears away. "I remember when you first approached me. I thought you were such a superficial brat!"

She rolled her eyes. "Thanks."

"But I got to know you. The real you. And there's still so much that I have to learn about you! Just like you have loads more to learn about me." Sakura told her softly. "The Moegi who approached me was confident, proud and so very beautiful. Don't let yourself go. Look at yourself, Moegi. You're not you right now, but I promise that I will be there every step of the way to get you back to your old self and then, we'll make that boy see just how amazing you really are."

Again, Moegi was rolling her eyes, but she let out an amused chuckle. "You're such an ass licker."

Sakura pretended to look stunned. "That's the first time I've ever been called an ass licker."

"Seriously?"

"Seriously."

"Well, there's a first time for everything." Moegi shrugged and smiled brightly when Sakura gave her the same smile. "His name's Sarutobi Konohamaru." she told her in a whisper, her cheeks flushing pink. "He goes to my school – in my year, too. We've known each other since forever, but it wasn't until this year that we actually got to _know_ each other. I feel… I feel like I can be myself around him, but at the same time, I'm scared. What if he doesn't accept me?"

The soft smile never faltered from Sakura's lips for even a second. "I felt that exact same way when I first got to know Gaara. My illness, what happened to me… I felt like if he knew the truth, he'd run a mile." The smile finally faded as she once again lowered her eyes. "And then everything was just… not going as I hoped. We got into a fight and it ended with me telling him everything. It scared me so much. I told Gaara things I'd never told anyone before and even now, I can still remember how terrified I felt, how tense I was. Every single word that left my mouth made me feel… It made me feel like…" Sakura shook her head and glanced back down at her, smiling at the curiosity in Moegi's eyes. "So much lighter. Gaara took on my problems like they were his own and he hasn't complained once.

"At school, it's no secret that he wasn't popular. I'd honestly never even noticed him until our final year – and I've never forgiven myself for that. It made me think of just how many people I'd written off because of how they looked or acted. In fact, now that I've stopped thinking that way, I have three of the greatest friends I could ever ask for!"

Gaara, Hinata and Sai.

Moegi smiled sadly. "I'm not the only girl who likes him, though. There's somebody else and she's a friend of mine, too. We all hang out together and just…" she shook her head. "After you told me I need better friends than the ones who called me an attention seeker, I did what you said. I dumped them all and started speaking to Konohamaru–kun again, as well as Udon–kun and Hanabi."

Surprise flitted over Sakura's features. "Hyuuga Hanabi? As in Hyuuga Hinata's younger sister?" Moegi nodded. "And she's the girl who also likes Konohamaru." Again, another nod. "Moegi," she sighed with a smile, pulling her into a hug, "there are always going to be others who like the guy you're in love with. Just like there are going to be guys who like you, even if you're not available. I think… I think that, if you do one thing for me, we'll go on a huge spa and shopping day. You know, the works! Hair, makeup, nails, massages, clothes." It made her smile how Moegi's eyes brightened. "But you have to do something for me first and it's not going to be easy. It's going to be one of the toughest things you'll ever do."

"You want me to go to rehab, right?"

Sakura nodded. "We can't offer you what you need here, though as soon as you're finished – and I _know_ you can do this – you can stay here as long as you like. I'll speak to Gaara about it later, if it's what you want."

She fidgeted with her shirt, grimacing. "This is only a one bedroom apartment, though."

"Well, I'll convert it into a two bedroom!" Sakura told her with a grin. "You've seen the room with all my clothes, makeup and accessories in, haven't you?" Once again, Moegi's eyes were bright. "You can stay there as long as you like. We'll buy you a bed to go in there. However, I don't think this can be permanent. You're only fifteen and I'm in no position to be adopting you or becoming your legal guardian."

Not for the first time, Moegi was frowning. "No position?"

Shaking her head, Sakura gave her a final squeeze and let go, standing up and stretching. "My mental health isn't too great and I've more or less only just come out of rehab. Nobody in their right mind would give me the rights to look after a kid. Anyways, help yourself to anything in the kitchen and you know where the bathroom is. If you need me, I'll be in my bedroom – oh, try to keep the television down, as well, because downstairs always complain about it." Sakura paused for a moment, eyeing her warily. "Do you think you'll be able to handle rehab?"

Moegi nodded after a moment of thinking hard about it. "I want to be me again."

For Konohamaru. She needed to get better for him.


	24. Can You Do This?

**Chapter 24 – Can You Do This?**

"Have you ever wondered–" Moegi seemed to lose her courage to speak, as she suddenly cut herself off and fell silent.

Sakura raised an eyebrow. "Wondered about what?"

"Nothing." the younger girl frowned and averted her eyes, staring over at Gaara's opened office door. "It's nothing. Forget I said anything."

It had only been an hour since their earlier conversation and since then, Sakura had gone for a shower. However, due to Gaara still doing paperwork, she had decided to sit with Moegi for a bit and watch some television. Like she told the girl earlier that day, despite being in rehab, it was still incredibly difficult to sleep without Gaara. It was even more difficult lately because of Ao being hit by that car.

"Just say it." Sakura muttered with a roll of her eyes. "You've already brought it up now and I've always told people: never be afraid to speak your mind. Just be smart about the things you let out." she gave a smirk. "Wouldn't want to scare people off, would you?"

She nodded quickly in agreement, her eyes narrowing on the door. "Have you ever… ever wondered why? Why _you_? Why they chose you? Why life just decides to screw you over _every time you turn around_?"

The question startled her to say the least, ripping the smirk from Sakura's face and causing her to fall silent, staring down at her feet unsurely. "All the time." she answered eventually, eyebrows pinching together. "That thought, the question of '_why me_' goes through my head every day." Running a hand through her hair and tugging on the end, Sakura sighed and glanced out of the window, finding it much easier to discuss such things when their eyes were not connected. "But… I don't like to think of myself as a victim. I know I am one, and I know there's no forgetting what happened to me. No matter how hard I try, it's always there and something always reminds me of what happened. I just…" Sakura shook her head, tugging a little harder as she twirled her hair around her finger. "Blocking out thoughts like that allows me to focus on the good things in my life. Those pessimistic thoughts and questions… No matter how long I dwell on them, they'll never be answered, Moegi."

Sakura bit her lip. "I tried to find the answers. Several times, in fact. But sometimes… Sometimes it's best not to search for those answers. Sometimes it's best to simply… leave the past in the past."

"I don't know what I would do if I was in your place." Moegi told her truthfully. "I probably wouldn't even be able to function. Look at me! You've been through so much more and here I am, depending on drugs because I'm _lonely_."

Once more, Sakura was shaking her head. "If it weren't for the people in my life, I would have given up a long time ago. I tried to. Tried to give up, I mean. But those people…" she smiled sadly. "They never gave up on me, never let me give up on myself. My parents," Sakura's features scrunched up with sadness, "if it weren't for them right at the beginning, I wouldn't be where I am right now. The same goes to Gaara and to Itachi, to Hinata and others like those who never saw me for the person I _used_ to be! They accepted me despite my flaws. All of them."

* * *

In his office, Gaara had an incredibly difficult time focusing on his paperwork. It had been silent out there for a while because of Sakura being in the shower, but even then, he'd had difficulty concentrating. The things they had been talking about had been, and still were, very personal to the two. Gaara felt awful for listening in, but what was he supposed to do? Get up and shut the door? That would look rude and then Sakura would know that he had heard her.

"_And that… What about those thoughts? The ones that tell you you're not good enough_?"

Silence for a moment. "_Worrying helps nothing, Moegi. Nothing. It just messes with your head. Over–thinking things is the same. So many times I've convinced myself something is going on, or that people secretly hate me or anything like that because of those thoughts. Not feeling good enough… It makes you worry, makes you over–think and once you start over–thinking, you over–think _everything_ and it destroys so much._"

Gaara sighed and shut his eyes for a moment, trying his best to ignore them and give them some privacy. However, just when he was certain he could give it to them and started reading the very first page of the very first contract for the twenty–seventh time, Moegi began talking again and his focus was lost.

"_I keep thinking that Konohamaru–kun is into Hanabi_."

He wasn't too sure, but Gaara was fairly certain that Konohamaru was a relative of Sarutobi Hiruzen's, the headmaster of Konoha High. Being sent to Sarutobi's office practically every day… Well, it was safe to say that Gaara knew that office very well and he knew for a fact that there had been a few personal pictures to Hiruzen on his desk. Family pictures, in fact. Once or twice that name had been mentioned when the old man got tired of scolding and punishing Gaara, instead telling him of his son or grandson.

"_You won't know for sure unless you ask him, Moegi._" Sakura sighed and Gaara knew that she would be either running a hand through her hair, or tugging on her sleeves. It was a habit of hers. "_The amount of times that I've convinced myself there's another woman is unbelievable. Even now, I sometimes think that._"

In his chest, Gaara's heart clenched painfully. He knew that she was still hurting because of what he had done and he knew that she had every right to still be upset about it. Yes, Sakura had slept with Sasuke and yes, it had hurt him badly, but there was a difference between them. Whilst Sakura had loved Sasuke and was so very confused about everything, Gaara had had no feelings for Matsuri at all. During that stupid moment, his mind had gone blank and he had been thinking with a completely different part of his body. That was why what he had done was so much worse.

"_But why? It's so obvious that Gaara loves you, Sakura. He'd be crazy not to_!"

"_I don't really feel like talking about it. I'm just saying that you should confront Konohamaru – no, don't confront him. Just casually bring it up in a conversation and…_"

As Sakura began to give her advice on how to speak to Konohamaru, Gaara couldn't help but frown in confusion. Why was she covering for him? Instead of telling Moegi about his vile mistake, she instead kept it to herself. Why?

It was half an hour later when the door to his office opened more fully and Sakura stepped in, giving him a smile. "It's gone midnight and Moegi's asleep. Are you coming to bed?"

Seeing that Sakura was already in her pyjamas, he nodded once and gave her a small smile. "I didn't mean to work so late."

"Don't worry about it!" she waved dismissively, giving his cheek a soft kiss when Gaara stood up and walked over to her, switching out the light to his office. "Lock the door, by the way."

He frowned. "Why?"

"Trust me." Sakura whispered quietly to him, so quietly that he had to strain to hear her. "When Moegi wakes up, she's going to want more. It's not that I don't trust _her_, but this isn't Moegi right now, Gaara. This girl is…" she shook her head. "She's struggling with an addiction and she's going to be craving more when she wakes up."

And by locking his office, Gaara would be locking away a lot of things. A safe filled with quite a bit of money was one of them. It was hidden behind the large picture of his mother and the code was her birthday (something Moegi would definitely not know), but it was simply a precaution. Besides, the last thing Gaara wanted was somebody going through his personal belongings.

Without another word, Gaara locked his office door whilst Sakura locked the front door and balcony doors, the pair of them taking the keys into the bedroom with them.

"I feel like she's our prisoner…"

Sighing, Gaara changed into a pair of drawstring pants and threw an old shirt on. It was an unusual feeling wearing pyjamas for bed after getting used to sleeping naked. "It is for the best."

Yeah, it was. Sakura glanced at the door for a moment before laying down, rolling over when Gaara climbed into bed so that she could cuddle up to him.

She pouted. "I don't like this wearing pyjamas nonsense."

The expression on her face and the pout in her voice had him chuckling quietly. "Me neither." Then, he asked, "Have you put away all of your medication?"

"Already done it." Sakura told him, pointing over at her bedside table.

When Moegi woke up, she was going to be craving something, _anything_ and like Gaara had silently been saying, Sakura's medication was fairly strong. It was easy to overdose on if not taken correctly.

Something was nagging at her, however, that Sakura had forgotten something. Something that was incredibly important. It hadn't only just started when Moegi arrived, it had been bugging her long before then. If she had to take a guess, Sakura would say that it had been nagging at her since getting out of rehab. She was forgetting something important, but what?

"Gaara?"

"Hm?"

"I think… The house…" she took a deep breath. "I'm going to keep it. But not for me or us. I'm…" Sakura's eyebrows knitted together, though she relaxed slightly when he made soothing patterns on her side. Damn it, it didn't feel as good when her body was covered with clothes! "For troubled teenagers. There's over twenty rooms in that house and that isn't including the rooms downstairs that could also be converted into bedrooms. The other day… I saw a kid sitting on the street and begging for money. He was dirty and skinny and so I bought him some food… But it got me thinking."

Gaara couldn't help but give a small smile. Even after everything that had so wrongly happened to her, Sakura still had such a big heart. "You wish to turn the house into a home of sorts, for children who are homeless and suffering."

She smiled. "Yeah."

Rolling them over so that Sakura was on her back, Gaara leaned over her and gave her a smile. "Then I will support you. Anything you need, just ask."

Silence for a moment. "…I need help on Monday." she whispered, eyes dropping to his stomach, which was resting flat against hers. "With… With going through everything in the house."

Lowering himself more fully against her, Gaara kissed her chastely. "Okay."

"But… Work…"

"If I have no meetings, then I will take the day off." He paused, understanding what Sakura was silently trying to say to him. "However, if I do have meetings that cannot be rescheduled, I will come with you during my lunch break and take the afternoon off." Most meetings were during the morning anyway and any that he had after lunch, Temari could deal with them. "It is a business, Sakura. Whilst important, it is not as important as you."

She smiled softly, wrapping her arms around Gaara as he rested his head on her chest. "Thank you."

* * *

Shisui stood up and made his way over to the kitchen, closing his notebook with a sigh. There were more and more cases of these kind of things happening and it unsettled him greatly. It reminded Shisui too much of what had happened to Sakura, and just thinking of it happening to other kids… It disgusted him and it made him angry for not being able to do more to stop it from happening.

"Is she okay?" Sakura asked as he entered the kitchen. The worry that was evident on her face was heart warming.

From his place at the stove, Gaara glanced over his shoulder at Shisui before going back to his cooking.

"Moegi will be fine." he assured her, placing his hand on her shoulder in a brotherly, comforting gesture. "Just make sure she gets the help she needs, Sakura."

"Definitely." she nodded once, before gesturing to Gaara. "Want to stay for breakfast?"

He wasn't due to be at the station for another hour or two… Shisui smiled. "I would like that."

Sakura grinned. "Great! Gaara–"

The redhead nodded once. "Already doing it."

Shisui leaned back against the counter, watching Sakura for a moment. "Have you heard anything about Ao?"

"Yeah…" she frowned, though gave him another smile. "Hana–san called yesterday morning and told us that she'll be taking him off the sedative on Tuesday, but he'll have to stay in for a while until he's fit to come home."

He shook his head, chuckling quietly. "I can't believe they have room for a dog Ao's size!"

Gaara smirked. "They don't. Hana said that Ao had grown a lot since the last time she saw him and for a while, they had to keep him in one of the spare back rooms whilst they ordered him a specially built cage."

Shisui began laughing harder. "I wish them all the luck putting him in a cage! Injured or not, Ao's still strong."

Glancing between the two men, Sakura couldn't help but smile softly. It had been like a silent agreement between them, an agreement to try and bring up Sakura's spirits. Jumping down from the counter, she smiled. "I'm going to go and check on Moegi. We've got a busy day ahead of us and I want to make sure she's ready."

And as Sakura left the kitchen, Shisui frowned over at Gaara. "Ready?"

"For rehab."

Ah. Yes, Shisui had noticed many of the tell tale signs that the girl had been using, though had politely ignored them so that he didn't cause her any upset. Getting Moegi to open as much as she had had been amazing for a girl who had been through so much. Even Sakura, back when she was still in school and he had first asked for her statement, had had difficulty going over everything, especially the darker parts. Moegi? She simply got on with it to get it over with. Probably because it was all so fresh in her mind, and she hadn't been silent about it for as long as Sakura had been.

Putting his notepad into his pocket, Shisui stepped forward. "Need any help?"

Gaara paused for a moment before nodding.

* * *

"He's good looking, isn't he?"

Sakura chuckled at Moegi, watching as the girl surfed through the channels. "I don't really see him that way."

The auburn haired girl rolled her eyes. "I know, I know. You're all happy and loved up with Gaara. It doesn't mean you can't say other guys are hot. What about that one who was in the papers the other week? The other Uchiha. Um… Brothers, I think."

"Sasuke and Itachi?"

"They're the ones." she nodded, flicking through the channels even faster. "It's like saying _they're_ not hot, just because you're with Gaara, even though we all know that they are."

It took a lot for Sakura not to outright laugh at her words. "Moegi, I don't see Shisui that way because he's family. Itachi is, too."

All of her movements stopped. "Really? You're related to the Uchihas?"

"Not biologically." she murmured, leaning back in her seat. "But we were all brought up together and Itachi has always been there – known my parents longer than I did! He was like their child, too. Shisui… I think he moved in with Itachi and Sasuke's parents when he was like… nine or ten years old. Since he's four years older than Itachi…"

Moegi scowled. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Sakura laughed, running a hand through her hair. "I have no idea!"

"And what about Sasuke?" she questioned. "You said Shisui and Itachi are like family, but not Sasuke. Why? Did he piss you off or something?"

"No, no." Sakura frowned, sitting up once more and taking the remote from her. "Remember what I told you yesterday? About my past relationships?"

Her dark eyes went wide before she smirked. "He took your virginity?"

"I thought it was Naruto–kun who took your virginity?"

Oh no.

Looking over her shoulder, Sakura smiled sheepishly at the two men stood in the archway. Shisui looked intrigued whilst Gaara was blank. He never really liked it when she talked about past lovers. It was either because he just didn't like hearing about them, or because his only relationship was with Sakura. "You shouldn't be listening in on our conversation!" Sakura snapped. "It's rude."

"I heard my name." Shisui smirked. "I thought you were calling me to join you."

Such a liar! "We're talking about you, not to you!"

Moegi rolled her eyes and turned around, leaning up against the back of the sofa. "We were talking about the fact that Sakura won't admit any Uchiha is attractive, because you're all apparently family, except for Itachi's brother, Sasuke."

Shisui put on a wounded look. "Itachi and I aren't attractive?"

"I'll admit…" Sakura said thoughtfully. "Itachi _is_ attractive, but not in a creepy, incest way. It's just in a purely observational way. And you…" she narrowed her eyes playfully. "Sorry, Shisui. Not in my eyes."

He sighed, looking dejected. "Always with the harshness."

"You're saying that like you're not used to it by now!"

"You know," Shisui said to Gaara, raising an eyebrow, "I never wanted a sister. Brothers… I can handle to an extent, because all I have to do is kick their asses. With a sister, you can't do that. I never wanted a sister and now I know why."

Gaara smirked, just barely holding back his reply of 'try being related to Temari', because no doubt she would somehow hear him. No, he wasn't afraid of the blonde, it was just that she seemed to have some freaky sixth sense about those kinds of things and would then proceed to yell at him for who knows how long. It was a bother.

Glancing down at Sakura, Moegi then asked, "So why not Sasuke? Why isn't _he_ like family?"

"Well, he is, in a way." Sakura sounded genuinely thoughtful this time and the expression on her face made it obvious she was thinking. "But I wouldn't say he's my brother in the same way I do Itachi or Shisui. It'd be wrong, right?"

"Just a little." Shisui commented.

"How?" Moegi frowned. She didn't like not understanding. "It's not fair to have–"

"That relationship," Gaara spoke up and cut her off, "Sakura was telling you about yesterday. Not her first time, but the one afterwards, was with Uchiha. That is why she can't see him as a brother."

Thinking for a moment and trying to recall the memory, Moegi's eyes suddenly went wide and a faint blush spread across her cheeks. "The friends with benefits relationship? You had _Uchiha Sasuke_ as your friend with benefits?"

This was starting to remind Sakura of when Ino was trying to get information out of her. "Yeah… For over a year, I think."

Moegi looked over at Gaara, tilting her head to the side as she assessed him with her eyes. Although it didn't show, it made Gaara uncomfortable. "Yesterday… You said this relationship with Gaara is better, though – or something like that. How?"

Seeing that she was asking more of those questions from yesterday had both Sakura and Gaara inwardly sighing. It seemed poor Shisui was stuck in on it, too. "Well," It surprised them when it was Shisui who spoke up as he made his way to the opposite sofa and sat down, "like Sakura said, that relationship with Sasuke was only friends with benefits, in a way. They were loyal to each other, but never actually made the commitment of a relationship."

Sakura frowned. "How do _you_ know this?"

"Sasuke." he sighed. "You know what he's like when he's drunk. Doesn't say a word when he's sober, but the moment he's drunk, he won't shut up."

That was true… "He told you about our relationship?"

"Partly." Shisui replied, noticing that Gaara was going back into the kitchen to check on breakfast. A few moments later and the redhead was back. "This was a while ago, Sakura, when he was still hurting from it being over, and losing you to Gaara–kun."

"Right…"

"Sasuke never told me any details, or anything you told him. He just said how the relationship worked and maybe, if he had tried harder and been more like Gaara–kun, it would have worked out." Patting Sakura's knee, he stood up again. "Don't worry, though. He doesn't mope around anymore." As much. "And Sasuke understands that no matter how much he changes, you'll still love Gaara–kun more."

"Damn." Moegi murmured, giving her an impressed look when the two men disappeared into the kitchen. "Your life is a like a soap opera."

Sakura dropped her head into her hands and groaned. "I think that every day."

Nudging her gently, she smirked. "Haven't you ever thought about… You know?"

Looking up with a scowl, Sakura said, "What?"

"Well… A threesome. Haven't you ever thought about having a threesome? That way, you can remember and experience the pleasure Sasuke gave you."

"No. That's disrespectful to my relationship with Gaara, not to mention it would hurt him." Sakura just about held back her urge to snap at the girl. "I can't play with people's feelings like that, Moegi. It's wrong. Sasuke… Despite what he says, I sometimes get the feeling that he's not really over me. And Gaara…" She smirked, standing up when their names were called for breakfast. "He pleases me enough that I don't have time to think of having another man."

Moegi grinned impishly and followed her.

* * *

"You're back, Sakura–san?"

"Not me." she smiled politely. "My friend here, Moegi, needs help, though."

The woman at the desk glanced at Moegi with a soft frown. "How old are you?"

Sakura grimaced, having already realised that that could be a problem. "She's fifteen, Atsuko–san. And I realised last night that she'll probably need a parent or legal guardian to sign her in here, but you see, there's a problem with her parents. They just don't understand how serious this all is and keep brushing it off as teenage dramatics." Her features were pleading. "Please, Atsuko–san. This is why I brought Moegi here. If her parents won't help her, I know this place can. Look at how much better I'm doing!"

Atsuko gave her a gentle smile and a nod, though shuffled through her papers a moment later. "I can't promise you anything, I'm afraid. Hold on and let me contact Hisa. She may be able to pull some strings for you, Moegi–chan."

"If it helps," Sakura spoke up after a few moments when the phone call was over and Hisa was on her way down, "Gaara and I came to an agreement that we'll pay fully for her treatment."

"Sakura, I can't accept–"

She cut Moegi off with a smile. "Money is money, Moegi. Your health is much more important than wealth." Besides, they had more money than they could even hope of spending and with Sabaku Corporation, Gaara just continues raking more and more in. It had actually been his idea to pay for her treatment!

It was only a few minutes later that Hisa arrived. She was getting on in her years and had apparently been working at the centre for over fifteen years, but it didn't show. The dark haired (though slowly turning grey) woman still looked kind and warm. The air she gave off made you feel safe and comforted, telling you that no matter how dark your secrets are, or how scary your problem is, she'll help you.

"Sakura–chan," Hisa smiled warmly, "you're looking great. How is everything?"

"Everything's fine." she told her truthfully. It was hard _not_ being honest with the woman. "My parents' funeral was last month and it was difficult, but I managed to pull through without drinking."

"That's great!"

"I… kind of screamed at and threatened my dad's mom though."

Hisa blinked her dark eyes for a moment. "How come?"

She sighed. "Long story short? After everything that happened to me, she and the rest of my father's side disowned me. At the funeral, she approached me and asked me about what I'll be doing with the house."

"That's awful!" Atsuko gasped, her lipstick painted red lips parting in disgust.

Nodding once, Hisa gave her a small smile. "Well, I'm sure you'll do what's best."

"I think I am." Sakura smiled. "Instead of getting rid of the house like I originally intended to, I'm instead going to have it opened up as a home for teenagers and children who need help, or have nowhere else to go. The idea came to me when I saw a homeless boy on the streets."

"I'm glad that you're doing so well. I think it's a wonderful idea." Hisa told her earnestly, smiling in approval. "Now, this is Moegi–chan?" When Moegi nodded, the woman sighed. "Shall the three of us go somewhere a bit more private? I hardly think discussing everything out here is what you'd want, right, Moegi–chan?"

For a second, Moegi glanced at the doors, like she was about to run, but then her eyes moved to Sakura's and seeing the promise in them, the promise that everything would soon be so much better, she took a deep breath and nodded.

* * *

"I'm so sorry that those things happened to you, Moegi–chan." Hisa murmured sadly. "And your parents don't understand at all?"

She shook her head. "They only care about keeping up their appearances and looking like we're the 'perfect' family."

Nodding, Hisa wrote it down. "But they sent you to a psychiatrist, or a therapist."

"Yeah. Apparently, the woman is 'the best', but 'the best' couldn't even tell that I've been using. She listened to me, but it was like… It was like it was going through one ear and out the other. She listened, but never took anything in. If I told her I was feeling low, she'd tell me all these things about how great life is and how I just need to get out more." Her lower lip trembled for a moment until Moegi calmed herself. "How's that supposed to help me? Being told that I had to get out more?" Before either Hisa or Sakura could answer, Moegi continued. "Either way, I did as she said. I went out more. I went out with friends during the day and then one night, I decided to try out Konoha at night. Going to nightclubs, drinking… That's when it got bad, though. That's where they found me. I followed her advice and look where it's got me!"

Hisa sighed. "I'm really sorry, Moegi–chan, but I will have to have your parents' consent. You're underage and if not, we could be in trouble for kidnapping you, or holding you against your will."

"But, what about Sakura? Can't she be my guardian just for this?"

"Sakura–chan couldn't sign herself in, either." Hisa told her gently, wrinkled features saddening. "Her fiancé was the one to do it. She may not be underage, but Sakura–chan was very obviously not in the right state of mind at the time. I am sure she has already told you about herself – at least half of it." Moegi nodded, glancing up at the woman by her side. Sakura seemed to be in deep thought. "Sakura–chan's mental health is why she cannot be your legal guardian, even if just for this. It wasn't too long ago that she herself was released from this centre. If we were reported, that would be the first thing that would be pointed out."

Seeing the hope fading from Moegi's eyes, seeing that she was biting harshly onto her bottom lip, had Hisa's insides aching. "I can contact your parents for you, Moegi–chan, and I will speak to them myself about what has been happening and why you are here. If need be, I can even bend the truth a little and tell them that you need help–"

She shook her head quickly. "Don't! They'll send me back to Konoha Psychiatric Hospital!"

The name had Sakura snapping back to herself, had her hands clenching into fists on her knees. "Let me speak to her parents." Sakura told Hisa. "It's not easy to open up to your own parents about things like this, and they just _won't listen_ to Moegi. Tsunade–sama," she gave a soft smirk, "she's taught me how to deal with ignorant people like that."

You scream, shout and hurl threats at them.

Well, Sakura may exclude the last one.

Also knowing exactly how Sakura planned on 'speaking with' Moegi's parents, Hisa chuckled softly and shook her head. "That would be very unprofessional of me to do that, Sakura–chan." Pausing for a moment and noticing how distressed Moegi was becoming, the woman sighed. "How about I ring them first, in front of you, Moegi–chan?"

Either way, she was being sent away, so Moegi nodded once and looked away, tears filling her eyes.

Sakura felt her heart breaking. She'd promised Moegi that she would help her. Grabbing Moegi's hand, Sakura gave her a small smile. "If they say no, you can stay with me and Gaara for as long as you want and we'll try our best to help you there."

Even though she knew it was wrong, Hisa held back all the reasons why that wouldn't work and instead picked up the centre's phone, typing in the number as Moegi said it quietly.

It rang seven times before they finally answered.

"Hello, is this the mother of Moegi?" Hisa spoke up before they had a chance to, and only being able to hear one side of the conversation had Moegi holding Sakura's hand much more tightly. "Oh, hello, Akane–san. This is Emi's Rehab Centre calling, just outside of Konoha. My name is Hisa and I run the centre." A pause. "The reason why I am calling is because earlier today, your daughter, Moegi, was brought into us by a young woman who believed your daughter needs our help. After giving her a short assessment myself just now, it is clear to me that she _does_ need help." Another pause, this one lasting up to half a minute. "I understand, Akane–san, for Moegi has told me all about her psychiatrist. However, were you aware of the fact that most of her problems have come from taking that woman's advice?" Another pause. "The best, you say? So is this woman's name Namikaze Minato, or Senju Tsunade?"

Sakura couldn't help but smirk at the astonished look on Moegi's face. "Ah, I see." Hisa stated, none of her previous warmth there. Right now, she was in professional mode, she was in lioness protecting her cubs mode. No, Moegi wasn't her child, but she was still a child who clearly needed help. "Ayano, you say? We have had many complaints about that particular psychiatrist. Were you aware of the fact that that woman had told a young girl who was suffering with suicidal tendencies as well as other issues, that there was no hope for her? That she was a lost cause?"

On her seat, Sakura tensed. That woman… It had been her. Ayano was her first psychiatrist, the one who had 'helped' her before Tsunade came along.

"What I want is for you or your husband to please come down to the centre, and sign a couple of forms that will allow us to give Moegi the help she needs. I will tell you once one or both of you have arrived, what sort of help Moegi needs." One final pause. "Your husband is at work? Surely your daughter's health is much more important than a job? I will see you soon, Akane–san."

With that, she hung up.

"Well?" Moegi asked hesitantly.

Hisa gave her a warm smile. "Welcome to Emi's Rehab Centre, Moegi–chan."

* * *

"You haven't stopped smiling all weekend."

At his words, Sakura smiled once more. "I helped her, Gaara. Moegi, I… I helped her."

He smirked. "I know."

"You should've seen the smile on her face when Hisa told her she was in." Sakura recalled the memory, her smile softening again. "I've never seen so much hope in her eyes… _ever_!" Kneeling up on the bed, she fixed his tie for him, though tugged on it once it was done so that she could kiss him. "I'll see you at lunch, right?"

Noticing her smile fading as what they were going to be doing came back to her, Gaara placed his hands on her hips and brought her closer, kissing her much more deeply. "If you still need time," he murmured after breaking the kiss, "we–"

"No," Sakura shook her head, "no, this needs to be done. I just… I'm scared."

"I will meet you there during my lunch break." he told her softly, pressing a tender kiss to her lips. "I've told you before, Sakura. You don't have to go through anything alone anymore. I'm here for you."

It took such a huge weight off her heart knowing that Gaara would be there.

She could do this.

* * *

**A/N - Sorry it's taken so long to update! I've had (and still have) thirteen assignments to complete and hand in, in only a week. Safe to say that it's been stressful. Despite still being ill, I've had to have sleepless nights and working on the assignments every chance I got - my eyes are killing now because of it as they're all online/Google Docs. I can't have any more time off, either, because I need my attendance near-perfect if I want them to keep me on another two years to do my a-levels. So yeah, I'm sorry that I haven't updated! My mum's thinking of complaining to the college about all the stress it's putting on me, but meh. There's no point. I'm obviously not the only one receiving ridiculous amounts of assignments (some have even more than I do) and if I pass everything and get to go on to doing something I actually want to do as a result? Then I'll do it. It simply means I won't have the time to be updating every week like I usually do.**

**So yeah, from now on I'll be updating whenever I can (still on Wednesdays and if not, then at the weekend).**

**Also, I got a review last chapter telling me that I've lost my momentum and that it isn't as much of a page turner like the last. I would have replied to them through the private messaging thing, but I felt like saying this on here. I agree with that reviewer. I haven't been focusing nearly as much as I should be on this story, but that's because of all my assignments and the stress of both college and home at the moment. And I'd also like to thank the reviewer for being honest with me.**

**Hopefully, I can make up for the dragging storyline in the next couple of chapters and get back my page turning story thing! **


	25. An Angel Watching Over Me

**Chapter 25 – An Angel Watching Over Me**

It probably would have been best waiting for him.

However, Sakura just wanted to get it all over with, and something about the house was calling to her, dragging her in.

So here she sat outside of her family home, three hours earlier than the time she had agreed on with Gaara. Sakura had yet to leave the car, but she had made at least a small improvement. After half an hour, her car had slowly began creeping onto the driveway. Well, until she slammed down on the brakes like she was about to be crashed into by a train, it had been.

Taking a deep breath, Sakura drummed her fingers against the steering wheel before slowly, so very slowly, driving forward once more.

The house had never looked so uninviting before. All of the windows looked incredibly dark, not allowing her to see inside and the police tape that had been placed over the front door was still there, having been left after the investigation. Sakura knew it was okay to enter, though, because Shisui had informed her that it was. However, that wasn't the only thing that was off about the house. It was the feeling it was radiating.

Evil.

Sakura shook her head, her car coming to a stop once more. Evil? That house wasn't evil. It was something her parents had worked so hard for. The things that had happened in that house, however… She sighed. That house had seen a lot of horrific things. Alcohol abuse, physical abuse, starvation, attempted suicide, attempted rape, people being held hostage, attempted murder and then… Actual murder. Maybe it was because of all those things, that the air felt heavier, felt colder? Maybe that was why Sakura felt like she was looking at evil?

Could she do this? So far, in the past forty–five minutes or so, all Sakura had been doing was sitting in her car, driving ridiculously and pathetically slowly up the drive. She'd only made it halfway. Waiting for Gaara… Maybe that would be best for her?

No. She couldn't rely on others all of the time. What Sakura needed, was to get a grip. It was only a house.

It was with that angry thought that she climbed out of her car and pocketed her keys, slamming the door shut with more force than necessary. Just as Sakura walked to the front of the car and took a few bold steps towards the house, her bravery wavered.

Her parents had both been murdered in that house. How the hell could she think that it was _only a house_?

No, it wasn't only a house. This house was where it all began, and where it all ended. She had lived in this house for pretty much her entire life up until she moved out. There were so many memories, both good and bad, but now… Now was the time to sort through them all whilst she sorted through the belongings in the house. It was time to put it in the past and move on. Her parents would want her to do that. And, the sooner she got this over with, the sooner she could begin the plans for opening up the home for homeless and suffering teenagers.

It was with that thought, with that dream, that Sakura clenched her fists tightly and finally made her way over to the house, slowing down ever so slightly (although not stopping) when she reached the porch, climbing hesitantly up the stairs. The jingling noise the keys in her hand made once she pulled them out of her jacket, seemed so deafeningly loud and for a split second, Sakura's heart stopped and she paused. Why, she had no idea. It just felt… wrong to make any noise.

First, once Sakura had decided it was safe to continue, she reached up and tore down the police tape, balling it up and holding it tightly in one hand. There was a bin inside for it. It took her a few minutes to actually enter the home after unlocking the large door and pushing it open, leaving it to swing and bounce lightly against the wall when it was fully opened.

The house was dark on the inside, so very quiet and there was a noticeable chill to the air as Sakura finally stepped into the house, swallowing loudly as she shut the door behind her. The very first thing she did was switch the lights on. Despite it being light outside, it was surprisingly dark inside. However, she found out why. It was because the curtains were closed. No doubt that was the last thing her mother did before going to bed.

Sakura kept expecting her mother to pop around the corner from the kitchen and smile warmly at her, welcoming her home.

"Tadaima." she whispered, a single tear slipping down her cheek.

There was no answer.

What room should she start with? Suddenly, Sakura felt like a stranger in the house and quickly rushed into the living room, shutting the door behind her. Everything was just how she remembered it being. Neat, immaculate and not a single piece of furniture or decoration out of place. It made her wary of moving anything, just in case she forgot how it was placed or how it was supposed to look.

Tightening her hold on the police tape for a moment, she dumped it into the living room bin and made her way into the middle of the room, looking around herself unsurely. What now? Where did she start?

After a minute or so, Sakura took a few steps over to the large, dark wood cabinet that was against the wall. It would probably be best to sort through personal items first, that way, the hardest part would be over with.

The first things to be seen on the cabinet were old photographs, although some were more recent. It seemed her mother ran out of space on the fireplace and as Sakura glanced over her shoulder at it, she smiled sadly when she saw it was true. It was overfilled with picture frames. Looking back down at the ones before her, Sakura picked up the nearest one and stroked the glass gently.

It was of her mother and father on their wedding day and they both looked incredibly happy. The look Kazashi was giving Mebuki had Sakura's heart warming, even though the woman clearly didn't notice it. And as she picked up the next picture, Sakura was silently surprised by how alike they were. The picture was of the night Gaara had proposed to her on her nineteenth birthday. Whilst Sakura was staring down at the ring in loving awe, Gaara was watching her with the same warm eyes as Kazashi had been watching Mebuki with.

Placing down those pictures, Sakura knelt down and opened the cabinet, though was slightly frustrated when she found her mother no longer kept baskets or cases there.

Sighing with annoyance and with her heart palpitating in fear, she shut the cabinet doors and slowly made her way out of the living room, glancing down the hallway for a moment before walking down it, trying to ignore the feeling of eyes on her. This was why she had disliked staying in the house after the attack. It always felt like _he_ was still there. Hell, the feeling of being watched was so strong that the hairs on the back of her neck and arms were all standing on end.

She willed the feeling away but no matter how hard she wished it to disappear, it wouldn't. In the end, Sakura reached the kitchen, where she glanced around for a moment, horrified by the smell of rotting food. It _had_ been a few months, after all. Why was she so surprised? Perhaps it was because her mother would have never let the kitchen get into such a state? Honestly, Sakura was surprised there weren't rats in there. That was probably why she felt like she was being watched! Rats. She cringed, a delicate shiver taking over her. If she saw a damned rat anywhere near her, she'd… Sakura didn't even know what she'd do. But it wouldn't end well for the rodent.

Stepping closer to the refrigerator, she squinted and grimaced, not fully understanding why she was about to put herself through the stress of smelling out of date food, but wanting to know if there was anything there rodent–wise.

Nothing.

She sighed with relief and shut the door before reaching for the cabinet beside it and grabbing a glass, rinsing it out in the sink before pouring a glass of water. It was already clean, but it had been sitting in that cupboard for who knows how long so it would be best to rinse it out. Taking a sip of the water, Sakura tried her best to calm down. If the house was unsafe, Shisui would have told her so on Saturday when he was over for Moegi's statement.

Whilst sipping from her glass, she leaned back against the counter and dug her hand into her pocket, thinking for a moment as she pulled her phone out and glanced at it. It was quarter to eleven already. That meant she had just over two hours before Gaara's lunch started.

It would be nice to try and have at least something done for when he arrived, even if it was only sorting through photographs whilst she got used to the creepy, eerie feeling in the house.

Placing down her glass and phone for a moment, Sakura left the kitchen and opened the cupboard beneath the stairs, switching on the light as she searched through it. Within only seconds she found the basket she had been looking for. Why Mebuki had put it away in this particular cupboard, Sakura had absolutely no idea, but that mattered little now. Now, she could continue with–

Creaking reached her ears.

Sakura tensed, her hold tightening on the basket.

"Not real." she whispered to herself, taking a deep breath before turning around.

Nothing.

Sighing with relief, Sakura walked back into the kitchen and grabbed her glass once more, walking back into the living room. She took a larger gulp of her water before putting it down on the coffee table and going back to the cabinet, smiling at the pictures as she examined them, carefully placing them into the basket. It would have been better to wrap them up in possibly bubble wrap, but she didn't have the faintest idea where to begin looking for the stuff and at the moment, Sakura wasn't comfortable enough with going through the entire house. Only half of the downstairs area for now.

After over half an hour she had just about finished going through the photographs when there was another creaking noise. It took her longer to react this time and for a moment, Sakura frowned in confusion, staring down at her hands. Her vision was blurred ever so slightly and everything was moving slowly.

"What–"

And that was when the front door slammed open, scaring the life out of her.

* * *

Gaara sighed, glancing down at his phone.

It felt like he was back at school, sneaking glances at his phone from beneath the table. The meeting was dragging on and the boring old man who was stood up kept going on and on about things Gaara couldn't care less about. And his sister could sense this, as she continued to shoot him strange looks. Why was Temari even there? Well, without an assistant/secretary, things had been a little more hectic than usual, so she had stepped in. She knew the business and knew everything that needed to be known, so Gaara hadn't argued with her and was instead grateful. Now he didn't have to worry about finding a new secretary, one who wouldn't try to destroy his relationship.

However…

There was a horrible feeling in his gut, one that he couldn't entirely understand. All Gaara knew, was that it was making him anxious.

Keeping up his blank expression as the boring man continued to go on, Gaara tried his best to figure out what that feeling in his gut was.

* * *

Sakura stared at the men who had just barged into the house with wide eyes, unable to find her voice at the sight of them and her fear only grew when she patted her pockets, only to find her phone was missing. The men were all rough looking. All big, all scary.

To make matters worse, her head was swimming.

_Why_ was her head swimming? It wasn't like she had–

The water.

Her missing phone.

Her eyes snapped to the men who were leering down at her.

They'd been in here earlier.

"Finally figured it out, Cherry?"

The name had her eyes hardening, had her fighting desperately to stay focused. "Did Zaku send you?" Her voice sounded stronger than she felt. "Or was it Orochimaru?"

Right at the front was a tall man with large muscles. He looked average with his dark hair and dark eyes. His skin was tanned and there were a few scars littering it and apparently, he was the leader of the group, for he stepped forward and spoke up. "Zaku is useless to us now, Cherry. He had his uses before, but then he went and lost you."

Ice cold shivers ran up and down her spine. Was this man one of the vile beasts who had raped her? Sakura tried thinking back to the tapes she had seen, the only way she could truly remember anything, but her mind was blank. Shit! Narrowing her eyes, Sakura glared at them, refusing to be intimidated. "You must've been shit, then. I don't remember you at all."

A few of the men in the back burst into laughter, mocking their leader, before he sent them a death glare that had them immediately shutting up. "Is that so? Maybe I should show you–"

"Touch her… and I'll kill you."

The voice had her frowning in confusion, had her looking around the room trying to find the person speaking, but it wasn't until the men parted that the person came into view, making Sakura's breath leave her. She… She looked like an angel. Tall, proud and graceful. There was a darker edge coming from her, but Sakura refused to focus on that.

"Akatsuki." one of the men snarled. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Instead of answering, she stunned Sakura completely by walking calmly over to her through the parted men and kneeling down, seeming completely unconcerned by the fact that there were fifteen men glaring viciously at her. It seemed they knew each other. "Have they hurt you, Sakura?"

"How do you know my name?" she asked after shaking her head slowly. "I've… I've never met you before… Have I?"

Remembering what she had previously been told, the woman shook her head. "It doesn't matter how I know you." She stood up and turned then, her rather revealing navy robe a second slower than herself. It had a large hemline on the front, showing off her flat stomach as well as her back and cleavage. "State your purpose for being here."

"Don't tell me that slut is under Akatsuki's protection!" one of the men demanded. "Orochimaru–sama never mentioned anything about Akatsuki!"

Akatsuki? Sakura frowned, watching the woman before her.

In a way, she kind of reminded Sakura of Itachi. The blankness of her features, yet the fierceness of them, the one that told you there was no point in trying to fuck with them. Who was this woman and how did she know Sakura was in trouble? Groaning, she clutched her head, willing the dizziness away.

"What did you drug her with?" the blue haired woman demanded, though her voice was still toneless.

"Just a little something to keep her sedated until we take her back to–"

"You won't be taking Sakura anywhere." she told them in a low voice, blank features becoming even more scarily empty, if that was possible. "I suggest you leave. I've already contacted the other members."

Fists clenched. "Our orders are to bring her back to _him_. Do you have any idea what he'll do to us–"

"Do you have any idea what _I'm_ going to do to you if you so much as touch a hair on her head?" she asked softly, her voice deadly.

"Konan, leave before–"

Konan. So her name was Konan? Sakura tried to think back, tried to remember if she had ever heard that name before. Her thoughts were too scrambled.

"I won't let you harm this child!" Konan yelled angrily, surprising Sakura as she charged towards the men.

It was like she wasn't even human. Konan was an angel with the way she seemingly floated through the men, each of her movements graceful and elegant, yet deadly and unforgiving. Her blue hair loosened from her bun, the stray pieces that had fallen loose whipping around her face with each deadly spin of her body, with each time she ducked a fist, or an elbow. She seemed so untouchable as Konan fought hard and Sakura felt her breathing quicken as man after man dropped to the ground, lifeless. There were three left now. Three men against just one woman.

Sakura felt so useless as she watched it all happen in slow motion, her body heavy from the drug they had used.

Konan spun around, her body like an animal's as she pounced at one of the men, drawing out a weapon Sakura had not noticed before. It was already covered in blood. Her eyes darted down to the fallen men, widening as she saw the pools of blood that just seemed to keep on growing beneath them.

Her vision blurred and it grew increasingly hard to focus on the battle that had suddenly turned.

Her angel was no longer winning.

Amber eyes narrowed as Konan leaned backwards, the fist that would have broken her nose flying straight over her head. However, just as she thought she had dodged the attack, the man smirked down at her. It was a disgusting smirk, one that brought back awful memories. Like Sakura, she was also known as a victim. Their looks were not appreciated in the least. With a vicious, vindictive rage, Konan's hand lashed out, slicing across the man's throat.

But then something hit her. No, something sliced into her, cutting through her body.

Eyes wide and breathing coming in short pants, Konan glanced over her shoulder, her body trembling as she fought hard against falling to the ground. She opened her mouth, about to yell at Sakura to run, but all that came out was blood. Hot, sickening blood that wasn't supposed to be there. It was choking her. It was _everywhere_.

"_Konan_."

Was it even possible for her eyes to widen further? "Y–Yahiko?"

"_You fought well, Konan_." The sight of her deceased lover standing before her had her heart aching. He looked as beautiful to her as he did when alive. "_I'm proud of you. But now it's time that you join me. I've been waiting a long time to see you again._"

"But the girl…" She tried to argue, but it was difficult as breathing suddenly became too much effort, as her heartbeat slowed down to a sluggish pace. "We have to protect her, Yahiko. And… Nagato…"

He smiled at her. That lovely, breathtaking smile that never failed to make her stomach flutter. "_You have done an amazing job in protecting her, but your job is over now. The others will be here shortly. Konan,_" he was right in front of her now and as his hand cupped her cheek, it felt warm. She felt safe for the first time since his death, "_I missed you._"

It was with those words that Konan breathed her final breath, a smile gracing her bloody lips. "Yahiko."

As her body fell to the ground, Sakura felt all hope leave her, felt her blood run cold, especially as the man who had killed her turned. It was the supposed leader of the group. He looked extremely annoyed as he stalked towards her and harshly gripped the back of her hair, lifting her with his hold.

"It's about time you died." he spat. "You've caused so much fucking trouble."

And then the knife was shoved into her stomach.


	26. Heartbreaking News

**Chapter 26 – Heartbreaking News**

Itachi's heart was racing. There was no denying it. He was scared. The message he had received an hour ago was repeating itself in his mind, torturing him because of how far away he was.

_Come quickly. I'm at the Haruno family home. Fifteen of Orochimaru's men are here._

It had been clipped sentences before Konan had hung up the phone, presumably rushing to confront them. There was no doubt in Itachi's mind that she would be fine – Konan was strong, reliable. Adding the fact that those men were attacking _Haruno Sakura_, the girl who was known to have a vicious temper and violent streak, solidified that thought. She was trained by none other than Senju Tsunade. Many cowered at just the mentioning of their unbelievable strength.

There was no telling if Konan managed to get a hold of anyone else, so Itachi was left to believe that he was the only one she could contact. He put his foot down more harshly on the accelerator, pushing his car to its limit. An awful feeling was twisting in his gut and despite how confident he was in their strength, in the fact that he _knew_ the two women could defend themselves…

You should never ignore your gut instinct.

* * *

Suddenly, Gaara had an overwhelming urge to throw up, making him close his eyes and breathe deeply, trying to breathe through it. It wasn't working. There was a horrible smell to the air that was making it hard to keep the contents of his stomach down and no matter how hard he tried, the lightheaded feeling that washed over him had him swaying in his seat ever so slightly.

By his side, Temari watched him with wide eyes. "Gaara?"

The others in the meeting all looked to him, pausing in their discussion. "I'm fine." he muttered through clenched teeth. "I just feel a little nauseous."

"I don't remember you ever being sick before." she murmured to him, leaning in closer. "And you're sweating and shaking! Is it some kind of bug?"

"I don't know."

"You look like you're about to throw up."

He felt like he was.

"Do we call a medic?" one of the workers asked.

"Don't be ridiculous." he muttered. "Just open a window."

Temari was right. Gaara had never been sick before. He had a surprisingly and freakishly strong stomach. So what was up with him? Was it simply his immune system breaking down ever so slightly, leading to this? Had he eaten something that hadn't been properly cooked?

Frowning down at the table, he tried to understand what the strange, twisting sensation in his gut was, tried to understand why he suddenly felt so ill. Was it merely due to the fact that he had been anxious earlier? Or maybe Gaara had been anxious because he was feeling sick, though obviously wasn't sure what to expect. He sighed as a cool breeze brushed over him.

What a day to be sick. Sakura would be expecting him shortly and considering that she needed him to be strong for her today, it wouldn't do any good if he began throwing up.

However, no matter how sick he was, he was going to keep that promise to Sakura.

He wouldn't let her be alone.

* * *

He found her. Found them both.

They were laying amongst fourteen dead men – no doubt that had been Konan, as he honestly couldn't see Sakura taking another's life.

Konan…

Itachi closed his eyes and his hand slipped away from her cold neck as he stood up. There was no pulse. Nagato would take that personally, as Orochimaru starting a war between their organisations. He would be out for blood for the death of Konan, just like Itachi knew for a fact he would be if Sakura…

A pulse!

His knees weakened as he felt her pulse. It was weak, but it was there.

Without a second thought, he scooped her up in his arms, holding her to his chest and ran back out of the house. It would be too dangerous to keep her in the back seat, especially since Itachi knew he would be driving at the same speed he had been to get there.

She groaned in pain, beginning to rouse from her unconsciousness.

"Stay calm, Sakura." Itachi told her softly, making sure to keep his voice soothing as he buckled the seatbelt. "I will take you to the hospital now."

"M–My angel…" her voice was hoarse, broken.

Itachi closed her door and quickly rushed to the other side of the car, getting in and taking off smoothly, having left the engine running. Now that she was somewhat awake, he had to keep Sakura talking. "Your angel?"

Her eyes were heavy, her head dropping onto the window harshly. She didn't seem to feel it. "Blue… Angel…"

Konan.

Something in his chest clenched as he realised that Sakura had seen Konan as an angel.

"Yahiko."

The name stunned him to say the least, as it was the reason behind Konan's pain as well as Nagato's rage and _need_ to fix their broken world. "Excuse me?"

"She said… 'Yahiko' before…"

Before she had died, she had seen Yahiko. Itachi understood the girl who was like a sister to him clearly.

And then her hand was clutching her stomach weakly and she was whimpering in pain. "It hurts."

"I know, Sakura." he told her quietly, one hand letting go of the steering wheel and grabbing hers.

She shook her head. "N–No! It… It _hurts_!"

And that was when he saw the blood between her thighs.

Had they raped her again? Had yet another one of Orochimaru's vile men touched her?

"We are almost there. Keep talking to me." When nothing was said, Itachi glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, though was thankful that she was still awake. "Where is Gaara–kun?"

The name had her becoming a little more focused, but not by much. "Work."

"He left you to clear out your parents' belongings alone?"

She shook her head weakly. "N–No… Meant to… At lunch…" A spasm of pain shook her. "I–Itachi!" Sakura cried in a broken sob, trying to stay awake. "I don't… I don't want to die."

"You're not going to." he told her, his car skidding to a halt as they finally reached the hospital. What should have been a thirty minute drive turned into a fifteen minute one instead. Not even a second passed before Itachi was yanking his keys out of the ignition, climbing out and sprinting around the car, not bothering to shut the doors as he carried Sakura into the hospital.

He was swarmed by doctors and nurses immediately and his chest clenched once more, his gut twisting viciously, as she was taken from his arms, leaving him to feel cold.

* * *

It had been half an hour and during that time, Itachi had had to take a moment to breathe. His heart was still racing from that awful phone call and his hands were shaking no matter how badly he tried to make them stop. The fact that he was covered in Sakura's blood was something that was disturbing him greatly, too.

Akatsuki had failed her.

He'd failed her again.

Nagato had promised him that Sakura would be protected, that she would be safe. Why had only Konan been watching over her? Why hadn't they tried to lure her away from that house? If Itachi had known that only Konan was watching her, he wouldn't have been on his way to a business meeting on the other side of Konoha. Now… Now Sakura was…

Itachi didn't even know how she was. They had yet to tell him. All he knew right at that moment in time was that she had been stabbed and there was a possibility that she had been raped again. He swallowed hard, willing the burning anger threatening to consume him to go away. Sakura didn't need his anger. She needed him to get his thoughts together.

First things first. He had to break the news to Nagato. That was something Itachi wasn't looking forward to.

He'd already called the man after handing Sakura over and now, almost forty minutes later, he appeared in the hospital. It was casually that he walked to Itachi and despite his hair being a bright shade of red and his eyes being unusually purple, he didn't attract any attention. It probably had something to do with the dark, casual clothing that had him seeming unimportant.

"This had better be good." his eyes narrowed a fraction at the sight of the Uchiha's shirt. "Are you injured?"

"Not me." Itachi murmured and it seemed to surprise the redhead that Itachi looked a little out of it. "I was contacted by Konan–san earlier this morning during her watch on Sakura. Fifteen men had broken into the Haruno home whilst she was alone and sorting through her parents' things, fourteen of them are dead."

Nagato nodded once. "I will have somebody clean it up. Is there anything else?"

"Sakura was stabbed."

Silence until Nagato spoke up again, this time sounding a little confused. "Stabbed? How? Konan was watching her. She wouldn't have let any harm come to Sakura."

"Nagato–san, she–" Itachi's brows knitted together.

The fact that Uchiha Itachi was showing emotion, looking genuinely sympathetic, told Nagato everything he needed to know.

His knees weakened on him, causing him to fall back into his seat. Konan. _Konan_! The stinging feeling in his eyes, the tightening of both his chest and his throat, stunned him for a moment. He had hadn't felt such pain since Yahiko's death, because he had focused hard on taking care of the woman who was like a younger sister to him.

Orochimaru was dead.

Oh he was so fucking dead.

That snake had forced him to break his promise to Yahiko. That was not acceptable. No, he refused to stand back in the shadows any longer. Even if he hadn't planned for Konan to be caught up in the attack on Haruno Sakura, it didn't change the fact that his sister was now dead. It didn't change the fact that he could no longer face Yahiko in the afterlife, knowing that he had failed to keep his promise.

"I must contact…"

It surprised Itachi how lost and confused Nagato seemed, how his emotions were slipping. However, he did not show it. Earlier that day Itachi had been just as lost. Still was, in a way. "You must contact who, Nagato–san?"

"Jiraiya–sensei." His voice hardened, his anger forcing him to control himself, to reign in all other emotions besides the murderous rage he was feeling. "If anybody knows anything about that vile snake, it will be him."

Jiraiya–_sensei_?

"If you wish, I can contact him for you." Itachi murmured, inwardly hoping that Nagato wasn't talking about interrogating and torturing the man. "The last I heard, he was with Minato–san and Naruto–kun."

Minato. Naruto. Nagato tilted his head to the side for a moment. "Naruto–kun is the child of Kushina–san, is he not?"

Suspicion had Itachi's eyes narrowing a fraction. Why the sudden interest? "He is."

Not saying another word, Nagato stood up once more and left, leaving Itachi to stand there, trying to understand his thoughts.

"Nagato–san, you–"

He didn't turn around, instead calling over his shoulder. "I will have this messed cleaned up once and for all. Is she there?"

_Is she there?_

Itachi suddenly felt sick with himself for leaving Konan there amongst those disgusting men. "She is."

Nagato merely nodded and two seconds later, he was gone.

That left Itachi with another phone call to make. One he had put off due to not wanting to be the one to break the news. It was wrong of him to put it off, but… He just couldn't. The thought of…

Itachi sighed and once more pulled out his phone, dialling a number he knew well.

"_Where the hell are you? I've just been told that you completely skipped the meeting! You told me that it'd be okay if I had the day off, nii–san. If you didn't want to go to that meeting, you should've just said! Naruto can–"_

"I'm at the hospital, Sasuke." Itachi murmured, feeling a strange feeling of _needing_ his brother there to keep him calm. Despite his mental illness, despite all of the rage and hatred and the other negative emotions, Sasuke kept Itachi calm. Helped him stay composed. "There has been–"

"_The hospital?_" Sasuke interrupted him and the sound of tyres screeching in the background had Itachi sighing. That kid had better be using loudspeaker instead of holding his phone to his ear whilst driving. He should know better than to do that, considering it had been a car accident that killed their parents. "_Are you hurt? What happened?_"

This was another person he didn't want to tell the news to, because Itachi knew that Sasuke still loved Sakura. He just… He needed his little brother. "Not me." There was a pause and during that pause, Itachi heard Sasuke's car slowing down, heard Naruto muttering in the background something about trying to kill him. "It's Sakura, Sasuke. Sakura has been attacked."

Silence.

And then his tyres were screeching again and Naruto was yelling at him to calm down.

"_Pull the fuck over, Sasuke!"_ Naruto yelled. "_You're not helping anyone if you get us both killed. Itachi,"_ Apparently Sasuke _did_ have him on loudspeaker, "_Sakura–chan… Is she okay?"_

He swallowed hard for a moment, sitting down in the seat Nagato had been sat in. "She was stabbed." The information of possibly being raped again would be kept to himself until he could speak to her about it. Or, the doctors would notice the blood and check themselves. "Sakura was going through her parents' belongings when Orochimaru's men broke in and attacked her."

"_Sasuke, pull over_." Naruto's voice was cold, serious. "_If you want to help Sakura–chan, pull over and switch with me. There's no fucking way you're driving us anywhere when you look like you're about to kill someone."_ A pause and during that pause, it sounded like Sasuke finally pulled over. "_Have you told Gaara yet, Itachi?"_

No, he kept putting that call off. "I am about to."

"_Right, well–_"

"Go back to our home and bring me some clean clothes." If he had to spend another minute in the blood soaked shirt, he was actually going throw up. "That gives Gaara–kun time to come to the hospital."

"_Okay…_" Naruto muttered, most likely frowning. Once again, the smooth purr of Sasuke's car engine sounded. "_How is she? Have they told you anything?"_

Itachi sighed. "I have not been told anything."

It was Sasuke who spoke next. "_Is that bad?"_

The lost tone in his voice was not lost on either Itachi or Naruto and both couldn't help but feel sorry for the younger Uchiha. "It means that they have nothing to tell me as of yet. That, or they are still–" Itachi cut himself off as a nurse left the room Sakura had been taken into, but when she rushed off in a different direction, he felt his chest clench. "They are still working on her."

"_Can't you ask_–"

He cut Naruto off. "No. It would be best to let them help Sakura without interruption." Then, Itachi sighed. "I need to ring Gaara–kun. I will see you soon."

With that, he hung up. It wasn't fair to keep putting the call off, for he knew that Gaara would want to be there, so, with an incredible weight settling on his shoulders, Itachi dialled Gaara's mobile number, sighing as it rang a few times.

Finally, he answered. "_What is it, Itachi? I am currently in a meeting_."

The man sounded rough, like he was feeling sick. "I think it would be best to reschedule your meeting for a while, Gaara–kun. There–"

"_Excuse me_." he muttered and then spoke to somebody in the background. A second later and he was back. "_I'm alone now. What is it?"_

Itachi closed his eyes and breathed deeply. "Sakura is in the hospital, Gaara–kun."

Like with Sasuke, there was nothing but silence. Only, this silence lasted longer, much longer. It stretched out to the point that Itachi was certain Gaara had ditched his phone and gone straight to his car.

Thankfully, that wasn't the case. "_Why?_"

He sounded even sicker now. "She was attacked in her parents' home."

"_But… We weren't supposed to meet there until my lunch break. Why had Sakura gone so early? It's not safe for her to be alone there after everything that's happened in that house!"_ Gaara was breathing heavily and for a split second, Itachi thought that he was about to throw up. He could understand the feeling. "_Is she okay? What happened?"_

"No, Sakura is not okay. I am not going to lie to you, Gaara–kun. It doesn't look good." he murmured, rubbing his aching temples. "I don't know why Sakura went earlier than planned, but whatever her reason…" Itachi trailed off and sat up straighter when the nurse returned with another doctor behind her. He recognised the doctor as Shizune. They ignored him and went straight back into the room. He sighed. "Sakura was stabbed, Gaara–kun."

This time, he knew for a fact that the phone had been dropped. There was clattering for a moment as it fell before the call disconnected.

* * *

It felt like hours went by as Itachi sat in that awful waiting room, on their obnoxiously loud, uncomfortable chairs. His stomach was twisting and turning and aching so viciously that it hurt to sit up straight. That girl… His little sister had been stabbed. She was currently in that operating room, having who knows how many doctors working on her and yet–

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay composed.

When Gaara arrived, he wouldn't want to see him looking close to snapping. That would only set him off and worry him further. The same went for Sasuke and Naruto. During now and being disconnected from Gaara's call, Itachi had also contacted Shisui to tell him of the news. It had given Nagato long enough to get Konan out of there as well as the other bodies. It would simply look like it was just the one man who had attacked her.

And then the doors to Sakura's room opened and a nurse stepped out, glancing up and down the corridor for a moment. It seemed she was looking for Sakura's relatives because the moment he stood up, she came straight over to him.

"Are you Haruno–san's relative?"

Itachi nodded once. "I'm her brother."

Even if they were not blood relatives, she was his little sister no matter what.

The nurse's features saddened for a moment before she ushered Itachi to a quiet corner away from others and gave him the news.

He felt as though all air had been beaten out of him.


	27. I'm So Sorry

**Chapter 27 – I'm So Sorry**

Looking around herself, she frowned in confusion. Where was she? This place definitely tugged on a memory for her, but which one? Whatever it was, it was bringing her a pleasant feeling, one that made her feel warm and safe and loved. There was no pain here, while before she had come to this place, that was all she could feel.

"Sakura."

That voice!

It was with wide eyes that Sakura spun around, tears falling freely down her cheeks at the sight before her. They seemed so real, so _there_, that it was killing her inside.

Her parents.

"Oh, look you!" Mebuki said in a strained voice, her features scrunched up with pain. "What have they done to you?"

That was when Sakura felt the sticky, wet feeling of her shirt, making her frown as she glanced down at it. That confusion faded away for pure horror and fear.

Blood. The lower half of her shirt was soaked in blood.

"M–Mom, what–"

"Don't panic, Kicker." her father murmured to her, seeming to appear out of nowhere as he cradled the back of her head and brought her into a comforting embrace. It was the sort of safety only a father could offer to their daughters and Sakura couldn't help the way she clung to him, trying to remember everything about that moment. If she took away the horrible feeling in her stomach, if she took away the blood soaked shirt, it would be perfect. Especially when her mother stepped towards them and stroked Sakura's hair soothingly. "We're still here for you."

Her throat felt tight, pain engulfing her. It wasn't the pain of her stomach, however. It was emotional pain. Her chest felt like it was being crushed. "I miss you both so much!"

"We know, sweetie." Mebuki whispered in return, tears filling her eyes as she pressed a gentle kiss to the top of Sakura's head. "And we're so sorry that we can't do anything about it."

The black sand beneath her feet was warm, yet damp from the ocean that washed over it in gentle waves. Surrounding the black sand beach were beautiful trees and flowers, all looking stunning in the sunset. The only thing strange about the beach was that there was no wind, there were no other signs of life besides herself and her parents. It was completely deserted and deep down, Sakura knew there was something wrong about that.

"Do you remember when we came here?" Kazashi asked his wife and daughter, smiling at them. "I think you were around ten, Sakura."

Yes! Now she could remember! Oh that journey had been horrendous for her, as it was the furthest she'd ever travelled before and it had been hell on her stomach (eventually her throat, too, from all the throwing up and retching). However, when they arrived, it had felt like heaven to Sakura and not a single moment during that holiday had she felt unsafe or unhappy. Her parents had spoiled her beyond belief, had spent every moment trying to keep her happy. However…

Sakura frowned softly, warily. "…That was when grandpa died."

His features saddened. "It was."

Were they trying to tell her something? Were they trying to give her some sort of message? Could the dead do that? Sakura believed that she had more than enough problems at that moment in time. Communication with the dead was not one she wished to have, even if it meant seeing and speaking with her parents. Of course, she missed them like crazy and would give anything to see them again, but communicating with the dead always brought problems and dangers and–

"Stop thinking so hard." her mother told her with a gentle laugh. "Just know that no matter what happens, even though we're not there with you in body, we're still here."

"You're scaring me…" Sakura stated quietly, slowly withdrawing from them despite feeling cold as she did so. The feeling of safety was slipping away, as was the warmth. "What happened?"

Mebuki took a deep breath before closing the distance between them, cupping her face and forcing Sakura to keep eye contact. "Things are going to get so much harder for you from here, Sakura. It's because of this that your father and I want you do to something for us."

"Two things, actually." Kazashi added.

Sakura looked between them warily and nodded once.

"Don't push people away." she told her daughter seriously. "I know you, Sakura, and I know that you're going to push people away – _don't_. You're going to need all of your precious people around you. Naruto, Sasuke, Ino, Itachi… Gaara." her eyes saddened. "Gaara especially."

Once more, Sakura nodded, tears slipping silently down her cheeks. "T–The second?"

Kazashi placed his hand on the top of her head, giving her a small smile as he did so. "Remember that you'll always be our Kicker." he said softly. "And no matter what happens, you have to keep fighting, keep kicking."

Something serious had happened. She could feel a strange tugging sensation, like she was being taken away from the beach, from her parents. She didn't want that. "I want to stay with you!" Sakura told them desperately, tightening her hold. "Don't leave me again, _please_!"

Their holds were just as tight. "We'll see you later, Kicker."

"Hopefully not for a long while, even though we'll miss you." Mebuki added with a strained voice.

"No!"

"Wake up, Sakura."

Her mother's voice sounded different, but the difference barely even registered in her mind.

"Mom, dad, let me stay!"

"Please wake up…"

* * *

Being called whilst at work by Itachi, saying that something had happened to Sakura, had been like ice cold water pouring over him. And now, sitting beside her bed, watching her as she slept, Gaara couldn't help but simply stare.

Was this how Sakura had felt when he had been shot?

The pure horror he had felt when Itachi met him at the hospital had been like nothing he'd ever felt before. Being told that Sakura had been attacked, that she was currently laying unconscious in a hospital bed, recovering from a stab wound, was like something out of his nightmares. It just wasn't supposed to happen in real life.

He should have been there with her. Gaara was so incredibly angry with himself for not being there. So what if they had agreed on meeting there during his lunch hour? He should have put work off for the day but he had been called into an important meaning. Oh God he should have just rescheduled. It didn't matter that the other company was huge and highly respected. Sakura was more important than a business.

"Any change?"

Glancing over his shoulder at Itachi, Gaara shook his head, biting the inside of his cheek in an attempt to keep his features as blank as possible. Just the sight of Itachi was almost enough to break that composure, though. Due to not wanting to leave her, Itachi still had not changed. His shirt was soaked in Sakura's blood.

"She _will_ wake up." Itachi assured him, noticing the hopeless look in Gaara's eyes. "Remember that it has only been a few hours since they took her off the sedative." The redhead nodded silently. "Gaara–kun, Sakura will wake up. She doesn't know how to lose."

It sounded more like he was trying to convince himself, but Gaara didn't comment.

"_Where the hell is she_?"

The voice from down the hall was enraged, absolutely livid, and hearing it had Gaara both growling with annoyance and relaxing ever so slightly. Naruto. Other than his siblings and Sakura, he was one of very few people Gaara could trust completely.

"_Shut up, Naruto_." This voice was not as loud, though the anger in it was just as obvious. "_Show us to Haruno Sakura's room_."

Sighing, Itachi turned his back on Gaara and opened the door to Sakura's room, looking down the hall and giving an unimpressed look to the two men stood there, arguing with a nurse. "Sasuke, Naruto–kun, we are in a hospital. Lower your voices and show some respect."

They were immediately silenced and walking over to him, though paused in horror at the sight of his shirt. It took Sasuke a few extra moments to finally make his way over to the room, his hands trembling as he handed Itachi the bag of clothes he had asked for. At least he knew why he wanted his own clothes, now, even though he wouldn't be staying in the hospital due to injuries.

"How is she?" he asked quietly, feeling like his entire body was ice.

"Unconscious, but stable." Itachi murmured and stepped aside. He would keep the news of what the nurse had told him, to himself.

Naruto was the first to walk into the room, going straight over to Gaara and placing his hand on his shoulder. "Hey, man." Gaara nodded once in acknowledgement. "She'll pull through this." The blond murmured, pulling his hand from Gaara's shoulder and hesitantly tracing one of Sakura's scars, since it was on show thanks to her hospital gown. "She's been through a lot worse."

Ignoring the urge to smack Naruto's hand away from Sakura's tattoo–covered scars (as she never liked people touching them), Gaara took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Itachi, I wish to speak to Shisui."

Already understanding what he wanted, Itachi nodded once. "I have already contacted him, Gaara–kun. He will be sending four of his most skilled and trustworthy officers here to watch over Sakura's room."

"Why?" Naruto demanded, lowering his voice a moment later at Itachi's silent warning.

"Orochimaru did this." Sasuke snarled in return, glaring viciously at the blond. "And once he finds out that he failed in killing her, he'll come back."

"Why can't they just leave her alone?" he asked, blue eyes narrowing with helplessness and pain. "Sakura–chan… She doesn't deserve any of this!"

No, she didn't, Gaara silently agreed, his eyes never moving from her features. The previous sickness he had felt was nothing compared to this. And, only seconds later, Gaara found himself repeating Naruto's question. Why couldn't they just leave her alone? Hadn't they hurt her enough? Wasn't the fact that Orochimaru had taken her parents, that Kabuto had raped her, that Zaku had sold her body, enough for them? Why did they keep coming back for her?

Everything just felt so heavy right at that moment in time and Gaara felt so helpless. What was he supposed to do now? Contacting Sasori and Deidara would be one of many things he would be doing, but that thought was way in the back of his mind. Those two had, for some reason, been watching over Sakura – where were they now? Why hadn't they stopped this?

Why hadn't he just taken the damned day off?

A knock on the door caught their attention and despite that only himself and Itachi were supposed to be in Sakura's room, when the door opened and revealed Temari and Kankuro, Gaara couldn't help but feel grateful for their presence. That gratefulness only grew as they silently moved over to him, Kankuro putting his hand on the redhead's shoulder, whilst Temari knelt down and pulled him to her.

In the back of his mind, Gaara was thinking that this was most likely the first time Temari had ever held him.

She leaned back, her eyes soft with sadness. "Any news?" Gaara shook his head, and there must have been a certain look on his face because Kankuro was squeezing his shoulder in a brotherly gesture, whilst Temari once again brought him closer to her. "It's going to be okay." she told him, her throat aching and feeling tight. "Sakura's going to wake up, she'll recover from this, and then whoever did this is going to be so damn sorry for ever touching her."

The fierceness of her words had Gaara finally breaking his stare on Sakura's pale face, had him glancing down at her. "Temari–"

"They won't touch her again." Sasuke repeated quietly.

In a way, they were feeling the same pain, so as Gaara looked over his shoulder at the younger Uchiha, he nodded once. "No, they won't."

He'd kill anyone who tried to harm her, and the moment he found out what bastard had hurt her, they were going to suffer.

Gaara's eyes went back to Sakura's features. It almost looked like she was sleeping. "Why isn't she waking up?"

The childlike voice broke Temari on the inside. "She will. You know Sakura so much better than I do, and I know for a fact that she'll be waking up. Don't lose hope, Gaara." she told him earnestly. "Sakura _will_ pull through this. We'll help her."

In the back, Itachi felt his chest clenching. It was the truth, they'd help Sakura pull through it, but Temari had no idea just how badly she was injured. She had no idea just what had happened. Only he did. And if calling Gaara to tell him of Sakura being attacked was difficult, then this was… It was impossible. Sakura was going to need so much more help than any of them even knew.

"Hinata wants me to ring her about how Sakura is doing." Naruto mumbled, though it was obvious he didn't want to leave his best friend's side. "Anybody want anything while I'm gone?"

A few mutters of coffees and water.

"Sasuke, go with Naruto–kun." Itachi sighed. "You need some fresh air to clear your head."

It was the truth. Right at that moment in time, Sasuke looked close to snapping and Itachi was certain that he didn't have enough energy left to restrain his little brother should he get violent. All of the negative emotions and energy had been surrounding him for so long now, that Itachi was surprised Sasuke's I.E.D hadn't been triggered sooner. This may be the push though. Not for a minor explosion such as a rant or verbal assault, but more like a major one. The last time Sasuke had snapped in such a way, he had utterly destroyed his room and everything in it. It had taken Itachi quite a few hours to calm his little brother down.

"But, Sakura–"

"Is still going to be here when you get back." he told his brother. "I will call you if anything happens, or if there are any changes."

"Come on, Sasuke." Naruto sighed and opened the door to the room.

Reluctantly, so very obviously reluctantly, Sasuke left with the blond, looking over his shoulder at Sakura a final time before he shut the door.

It was just as the door shut that Gaara's phone began to ring, although it seemed like he couldn't hear it, as his eyes remained glued onto Sakura's features. When it reached it's fifth ring, Temari sighed and reached into his jacket pocket, sliding her finger across the screen and answering the call. Standing up, she turned her back on the younger woman laying in the hospital bed, stepping closer to the door like she was about to leave.

"Sabaku Temari. Gaara can't come to the phone right now–" the blonde was cut off, her eyebrows knitting together as she straightened up. "Now is not really the best time for this. It wasn't scheduled until tomorrow!" Feeling two sets of eyes on her, Temari glanced up first at Itachi, and then to Kankuro, both of who were watching her intently. "And there's nothing you can do at all? Like I said, now isn't really a good time–" she sighed, rubbing her forehead. "Yeah, I understand. Someone will be there shortly, although it unfortunately won't be Gaara or Sakura."

She hung up without another word.

"Temari?" Kankuro questioned with a frown. "What was that about?"

Once again sighing, Temari walked over to Gaara, placing his phone back into his pocket. "Gaara, Kankuro and I are going to have to go." she told her youngest brother, kneeling down in front of him. Slowly, icy blue eyes swept over to hers, narrowing a fraction. "He woke up all by himself, Gaara. Ao has woken up. And he's not happy."

This time, Gaara's eyes widened. Ao. He'd forgotten all about him! "He is not due to be brought out of his–"

"I know." she murmured, just about stopping herself from collapsing backwards. Today had been a tough day on all of them. "He woke up all by himself and began freaking out a few hours ago. Nothing and no one can calm him down. Apparently, Hana has been trying to get in contact with Sakura for hours and when that didn't work, she called in Kiba." There was a pause. "He bit Kiba, Gaara. Ao attacked him. They've had to lock him away in a back room until somebody Ao really knows can come and place a muzzle on him."

Itachi had to hold back the widening of his eyes. "He attacked someone?"

Gaara's eyes were once more on Sakura's features. "He knows that something has happened."

The two had always been connected through their pain, after all. It just went to show that they really were best friends for Ao to be brought out of unconsciousness by such a thing happening to Sakura. It was like he knew she was in danger, and he was angry that he couldn't help or be there.

"His injuries, though…" Kankuro's frown deepened. "Freaking out will only make them worse and Sakura's going to need him to be okay for when she gets better."

Yes, she would. Gaara sighed. "Go back to the condo and grab Sakura's robe. It will be on the back of the bedroom door."

"And will be covered with her scent." Itachi commented, understanding clearly. "Hopefully it will calm him enough for them to assess his wounds."

Nodding, Temari stood up once more, though placed her hand on Gaara's shoulder. "Are you going to be okay here without us?"

He simply nodded once, more concerned with watching Sakura.

On their way out, Temari gestured with her head for Itachi to step out with them and once the door was shut, she gave the Uchiha a pleading look. "I'm not one for asking favours, or for asking for help, but _please_ keep an eye on him. It's been years since Gaara has…" she shook her head, unable to find the words. "I'm not saying that he'll attack anyone, but just keep an eye on him and make sure that nobody touches him."

Kankuro nodded once in agreement. "That blank look in his eye is one he usually gets when he starts to lose it. He pushes people away, withdraws into that head of his. Sakura is everything to that kid. She managed to get to a part of him that we never could. No matter how much we reached out to him, he never tried to reach back. Not until she came along."

Itachi narrowed his eyes a fraction, not liking what they were insinuating in the slightest. "Sakura is going to wake up."

"But if she doesn't–"

He cut Kankuro off with a cold stare. "She will wake up."

She had to.

* * *

"Wake up, Sakura."

Gaara watched her face, watched for any changes, but there were none. It felt like he was absolutely useless, being able to do nothing but sit there whilst Sakura was laying in a hospital bed. She was stable and they had managed to stop the bleeding as well as close the wound, already bringing her off of the sedative used during surgery, but… But for how long would she be safe for this time?

He gritted his teeth, closing his eyes tightly.

Next time, he'd be there. Next time, he'd stop them from hurting her. Next time–

There wouldn't be a next time. The moment Sakura woke up, the moment he knew for a fact that she was safe, he was going to find whoever had done this and he was going to make them pay.

He would–

A single tear slipped down his cheek without permission.

"Please wake up…" Gaara whispered, bringing one of her hands to his lips so that he could kiss it. Feeling how cold she was, he stood up, grabbing the extra blanket on the back of his seat and fixing it over her body, tucking Sakura in carefully. "You need to wake up."

And as his hands held one of hers once more, that was when she squeezed back.

* * *

"Uchiha, get Shizune!"

Itachi had only just opened the door, had only just stepped into the room, when Gaara had barked out the order at him. Usually, he was not one for being ordered around, but the sight that welcomed him blocked out that thought.

Green eyes were open, determinedly fighting against unconsciousness as they blinked rapidly, as Sakura attempted to sit up, only to cry out in pain and collapse back onto the bed. Gaara hovered over her, warning her to be mindful of her injuries, telling her softly where she was and holding her hand the entire time so that she knew she wasn't alone.

He took a step backwards, about to turn and find Sakura's doctor, when the woman herself turned onto the corridor, staring down at her clipboard as she walked towards him. "Shizune–san." Itachi called, hand resting on the door. Not even waiting until she was closer, he told her, "Sakura is awake."

Shizune almost dropped her clipboard. "Already?"

But she hadn't prepared herself for the news she had to tell the couple!

"Yes." he nodded once and stepped aside, but instead of walking into the room with Shizune, Itachi gave her a certain look. "I will be outside."

The dark haired woman had to bite back a growl. Just who the hell told Uchiha Itachi the news before the couple themselves? Clearly, Gaara did not know and obviously, Sakura didn't either. They should have been the first people to find out. Not a friend. Yes, she understood that Sakura and Itachi were like siblings and had been very moved by the way he stood up and spoke in her place at the funeral, but there were rules to follow here at the hospital. Sharing such private information…

Shaking the thoughts from her head, Shizune waited until the door was shut before walking towards the bed, Gaara shifting out of the way so that she could check on Sakura.

"You shouldn't be awake yet." she sighed, checking her vitals and the numbers on the machine. "It probably would have been better for you to remain unconscious for a short while, just until your body recuperates."

As focusing became easier the longer she forced herself to stay awake, Sakura opened her mouth, about to speak, but all that came out with a horrible sounding croak. It had been a while since she'd come so close to death and this time, it wasn't by her own hand. Strange how, two years ago, she had wanted nothing more than to die. Now, Sakura wanted to live. She was so relieved that she had survived that she could have cried.

Once the short check up was done and Shizune found no problems, she took a deep breath, watching as Gaara helped Sakura drink some water, understanding that now was the time to break the news to the couple, even though she wanted nothing more than to shield them from the pain. It wouldn't take Sakura too long to figure out, though. There one minute, gone the next. She'd know in a heartbeat. No, it would be best for somebody she knew and trusted to break the news, to tell her what had happened.

Closing her eyes for a moment and listening as Gaara placed the bottle of water back onto the bedside cabinet, Shizune exhaled slowly, trying her best to seem professional, but it was so hard.

"I am sorry to inform you that we could not save your baby."

Silence.

Sakura's eyes widened, whilst Gaara seemed incapable of forming words.

"Baby?"

Shizune paused, shocked and then she looked pained. "I thought you already knew, Sakura, Gaara. But even if you didn't, it is hospital policy that we must inform you on _everything_."

Pregnant.

She had been pregnant.

Tears filled her eyes and her shoulders shook, no matter how badly she tried to fight back against the emotions. Pregnant. There had been a baby growing inside of her and that man, that vile, disgusting man, had taken that baby away from her. He had killed her baby.

"H–How far…"

"I would say around two months, though certainly no further than that." Shizune said quietly, inwardly screaming to whoever was listening to just give Sakura a break for once in the poor girl's life. Hadn't enough pain already been thrown her way? "I'll give you both some privacy and come back later to tell you more. We have some therapy groups that will help you cope with the loss, although Tsunade–sama may wish to see you both herself."

When the woman left, all Sakura could do was stare at the foot of the bed. All previous pain was forgotten about – it was like there wasn't any at all. All she could think about was the life she hadn't known about, the life she had lost before given the chance to know.

By her side, Gaara was just as quiet, just as stunned. He and Sakura… They had created a life.

She closed her eyes, swallowing hard before opening them once more.

"I don't want anybody to know." Sakura whispered to him, her voice sounding thick and strained. "There's a chance that Itachi may already know since he brought me here, but… He won't say anything." Gaara nodded silently. Sakura gave a small, sad smile. "At least we know now that I'm not unable to conceive."

And that was when she started crying.

* * *

**A/N - This chapter was written months ago, but now I kind of feel like it shouldn't have the part about the baby in it, as I know a few of you will complain or be unhappy about it. I just don't have the energy to completely rewrite the next few chapters and the chapter before. Please remember that this isn't supposed to be a happy story. If you read the first one, you'd know this already.**

**I was so embarrassed earlier. There's this shop around the corner from my house and since I won a little bit of money, I went to cash it in, but he was suddenly all like "How old are you? Show me ID". So, not really seeing what the big fuss was as he had no problem serving me the lottery ticket, I showed him my ID, to which he suddenly turns and says "I don't accept college passes." To make it worse there was a huge queue behind me, but even the old woman said that I'm obviously older than sixteen! Ugh. He just didn't want to give me any money. -.-**


	28. Know Pain

**Chapter 28 – Know Pain**

How was she supposed to feel?

Finding out that not only she had been pregnant, but also that she had lost the baby, was surreal. It just didn't feel like it was really happening to her. Of course, there had been a few pains over the past week or so, however, Sakura tried her best to ignore them.

Itachi had been to visit her and the look in his eyes told her that yes, he knew about the miscarriage, though he thankfully didn't say anything about it and instead offered her his silent support. When Gaara was unable to stay with her, Itachi was there to take care of her (since Sasuke was in control of half of the company, whereas it was only Gaara with his) and support her. Sometimes they spoke, sometimes they sat in silence.

When Gaara was with her, they were nearly always simply laying together in silence, neither entirely sure how they were supposed to feel. They already knew when the child had been conceived – the night she had gotten out of rehab or the day after, when they had made love over and over again. It was careless of her, but because of switching everything around and suddenly switching everything back, Sakura had forgotten to take her birth control and had instead only been taking her medication, instead of only taking her birth control instead of her medication – which was what she had been doing since stopping with the pills, to make it more believable she was taking her medication.

She felt… Sakura wasn't even sure. Some days were better than others. Right at that moment in time, she felt heavy. That was the only word she could think of to describe how she felt. Heavy.

Why hadn't she noticed sooner? Perhaps it was because of all the stress? In all fairness, there hadn't been many signs. No morning sickness, no nausea. Her body was always sensitive, so she hadn't thought twice about her breasts feeling a little sore in the mornings. Also, her periods were irregular and there was no telling when the next one would start.

But that didn't stop her from feeling as though she had failed her child. Their child.

It hurt her. No, it absolutely crushed her. She and Gaara had created this… this tiny little creature! They had been on their way to becoming parents. And even though Sakura hadn't even known she was pregnant, it hurt so badly. They had created a life and before they even got to know him or her, it had been snatched away from them.

"Sakura." Gaara sighed, his eyes saddening as he pulled her to him, able to tell from just the look in her eyes that she was close to breaking down. "It wasn't your fault."

She shook her head. "But that was our _baby_. I… I would have been a mother! A mother is supposed to protect her babies." Her expression was pained when she pulled back, looking up at him desperately. "What if that was our only chance, Gaara? What if–"

"Don't worry about what ifs." he murmured and tightened his hold, pressing his forehead to hers. "Worry about getting better first. We won't ever forget the child we lost, but hopefully one day, we can learn to get passed it. And when we do, we'll be ready to have children."

Honestly, Gaara had thought he'd never want to have children. Never thought he'd have the patience or be capable of taking care of babies. But just knowing that he had created a child with Sakura, just knowing that there had been either a miniature him, or a miniature her, inside of her, growing and living, was agonising. He couldn't even begin to understand how Sakura was feeling. Gaara pressed his lips softly to hers, his eyes closing.

He was hurting. He wasn't even going to try and lie about it, because he truly was hurting. However, part of him was glad that they didn't know about the pregnancy and Gaara felt sick with himself for feeling that way. If they knew about the pregnancy, their pain would be even greater. No doubt Sakura would have gone all out and bought it more than it needed, she would have told all her friends about the child, would have come to love it. The loss was already devastating. Gaara wasn't sure if they'd be able to cope if they had known the baby.

It was because of her miscarriage as well as being stabbed that Sakura had to stay in the hospital a little longer. Shizune wanted to keep a close eye on her, as the cramps hadn't entirely left yet. There were around four or five days left of being watched and by that time, two weeks would have passed. Usually, women were watched for seven to fourteen days. They had wanted Sakura to allow 'for the products of pregnancy to be passed naturally'. She had told them in return that they were torturing her.

There were other methods. Even Sakura knew that. They could use pills to empty her womb, or could do some kind of surgery. Why did she have to suffer through this? Why should any woman have to suffer through this?

"I wouldn't have minded meeting them." Sakura suddenly whispered sadly. "We're probably not ready to be parents, but…"

Gaara kissed her again, trying to shove away the ache in his chest. "I know."

"Maybe when we're married." she nodded, sounding more like she was speaking to herself. "And older. When we're married and older and _ready_, I'll be the best mother I can possibly be." Sakura looked up at him with a serious expression and it hurt him even more to see she was barely clinging on, barely keeping it together. "I'll protect them next time, Gaara. I promise."

"Rest, Sakura." Gaara closed his eyes, not wanting to see her tortured expression. "But just know that… I–" he sighed and kept his eyes closed. "_When_, we have our own family, I will protect you all."

Sakura did not comment on the fact he almost said "if".

* * *

She was allowed visitors. Sakura just didn't want any.

That didn't stop a certain pair from visiting her every chance they got. As much as she loved the pair of them, as much as she enjoyed their company, right at that moment in time, Sakura wanted nothing more than to just be alone.

"Hinata keeps telling me to let you recover in your own time," Naruto sighed as he threw himself into the chair beside Sakura's bed, "but I don't want to. I don't want you to be alone. I get that you need to recover when you're ready and I know you're scared of going back out there–"

"Naruto–"

He didn't hear her, too busy promising her many different things. Those promises went from promising her safety, that he'd always be there to protect her, to much smaller promises. Sakura closed her eyes, trying to block out the sound of his voice, not noticing how a set of dark eyes were watching her intently.

Something bigger was going on. That was the first thing Sasuke had noticed when he returned to find Sakura awake. Neither he nor Naruto had been allowed access to the room when she first woke up and when they tried to enter, Itachi had removed them with force. Since then everything had been quiet and nothing had been said or mentioned. Whenever Sasuke demanded to know what else had happened, Itachi froze him out and refused to say a word.

His clenched fists trembled minutely.

Why wouldn't they tell him anything? Sakura was in pain – a lot of pain. All Sasuke wanted to do was help her. He wasn't sure how he'd do that, or where to even start, but surely everything would fall into place if they at least told him part of the problem? If they did that, he would have a better idea of how to help her. They'd known each other since before they could even lift their heads themselves, when they were mere days old. They'd been friends, best friends and then lovers. To him, Sakura was one of his closest friends.

He just wanted to help her.

Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Sasuke finally looked away from Sakura's closed eyes and over to Naruto. He was still going on and on about how he would protect her from now on. "Naruto. Don't you have a meeting to go to?"

Blue eyes instantly went wide. "_Shit_! I forgot all about it! Damn it. The old man's going to kill me–"

"Go."

Naruto frowned at Sakura. She still wasn't looking at him. "I can stay, if you want."

"Just go, Naruto." she sighed. "It's not like I'll be going anywhere, so I'll unfortunately still be here when the meeting's over."

There was bitterness in her voice, Sasuke noted.

"You better look after her!" Naruto warned Sasuke as he grabbed his jacket and shoved it on. It seemed he would have to make a quick stop at home so that he could change into more appropriate clothing. He refrained from pulling a face. Naruto hated suits. "I'll know if you stress her out, you bastard."

With that, he left the room.

"You can go, too." Sakura murmured as she leaned back in her bed, finally reopening her eyes and staring up at the bland ceiling. "I–"

"I'm staying."

"Sasuke–"

"If it was the other way around, would you leave me?"

It was kind of impossible to be the other way around, unless Sasuke was hiding something from her. "Fine." she said more harshly than she intended. "But I'm not going to be good company."

"I don't care."

Of course he didn't.

And so for the next couple of hours, the two sat there in almost pure silence. The only thing that disturbed that silence was when a nurse came by to check on Sakura, to make sure she was comfortable. It stunned Sasuke to see Sakura act so coldly in return, to snap that she was as comfortable as somebody in her position could be. The nurse had fled, close to tears. However, Sasuke did not comment on it. It was fair enough if Sakura was beginning to feel restless, if she was beginning to feel uncomfortable and if she was in pain. She'd been stabbed! But… That didn't give her the right to be harsh with the staff and make it seem as though _they_ were the reason behind her suffering. They were doing whatever they could to help her!

He sighed. "Sakura–"

"I'm going to the bathroom."

Again?

Just as Sakura pulled back the thin sheets of her hospital bed and slowly slid her legs over the side of it, she gasped in pain and held onto her stomach, eyes squeezing shut. Sasuke was on his feet in an instant, trying to help ease the pain. He didn't know what else to do other than help her stand. So slowly, carefully, he did just that and even walked her to the bathroom that was joined onto her room.

"I–I'll be fine from here." she whispered, eyes not meeting his.

"Sakura–"

"I said I'll be fine." Her voice was harder, firmer. There was no room for arguments. And to prove her point, Sakura determinedly took a step back and into the small bathroom, shutting the door behind her with more force than necessary.

When she finally left the bathroom, three more people were in her room, making Sakura have to bite back a scream of frustration. Why couldn't she just be left alone? Yes, they were only wishing her well and seeing how she was doing, but all Sakura wanted was to be alone. She didn't want any fuss, she didn't want their pity and she sure as hell didn't want their help.

Instead of it being Sasuke who helped her walk to her bed, this time, it was Gaara. He stared down into her eyes for a moment, silently telling her that he was sorry for not stopping his siblings from joining him. They'd wanted to see her, to speak to her. Gaara had argued with them about it for a decent amount of the day and just as he pulled into the hospital car park, thinking he had won, their cars had also pulled in. All thoughts about his lost argument were forgotten, however, when he saw that Sakura's eyes were bloodshot, a clear indication that she had been crying. It was obvious that she'd tried hiding it too, for her face was damp with water.

Her eyes hardened just as he opened his mouth, forcing him to stay quiet. She didn't want him to say anything.

It was slowly that Sakura eased herself onto the bed and once she was on properly, Gaara helped to adjust the upper half so that she could sit up more comfortably instead of slouching. He knew that, given what had just happened just now in the bathroom, Sakura would need to be sitting up straight. One night not too long ago, she'd whispered to him that it felt a little like period pains, only, she got them in her back, too. What made the pain worse was knowing _what_ would be passing through, although she wouldn't know when it happened.

Whilst his back was to the others, Gaara allowed himself a moment to breathe deeply.

Throwing himself into his work helped to take his mind off of everything, but the second he got a moment to himself, his thoughts were straight back to this room, straight back to Sakura and the child they'd lost. Just today he had decided to not go into work until she was out of the hospital and well enough to move around by herself. For now, Temari would be taking charge once more. She'd been more than willing, though made it known that it was only temporary.

To try and break the silence, Sakura reached for the remote, but was annoyed when Temari grabbed it first, saving her the hassle of straining herself. Deep breath. Forced smile. Accepting of the remote. "Thanks."

Switching on the medium sized television that was being held up on the wall, Sakura kept her eyes on the screen, starting at the first channel.

It immediately had all of their attention.

"_Police are still searching for one of the most wanted criminals in the world, Orochimaru, after he once again attacked Haruno Sakura, daughter of the late couple, Haruno Kazashi and Mebuki._"

Sasuke frowned. "Turn over, Sakura."

She didn't.

"_It is reported that Orochimaru paid hit–men to go after Haruno Sakura, the attack being in the home of her parents. This is the exact same house that both Kazashi and Mebuki were murdered in,_" A picture of the extravagant house as well as a family photo was shown, "_as well as there being a previous attack on Sakura the year before._" This time, when the reporter was shown once more, she was standing in front of the house, the sight of it making Sakura's blood boil. What fucking right did she have to be there? It wasn't some freak show – this was _her life_ that she was reporting! "_We have to ask ourselves: what is with the fixation on Haruno Sakura? The most recent attack was by far the most fatal and a close source tells us that she is recovering from a stab wound. Where about on her body, we're not sure._"

"Sakura." Gaara tried, but was ignored.

"_Altogether, there has been over three attacks on the woman._"

Said woman barked out a humourless laugh. "Three? Try well over thirty."

The others watched her warily.

"_The first, was when Yakushi Kabuto sexually assaulted her late winter almost three years ago now. The second was the attack on Sakura and her friends, where they were all held hostage in this very house,_" she gestured behind herself, "_just over a year ago. That particular attack left Sabaku Gaara, the leader of Sabaku Corporation and fiancé of Sakura, close to death after he was shot._" A pause. "_This is not including all attacks that other members of Orochimaru's organisation_–"

"Sakura, switch it off." Gaara said more firmly. "You're tormenting yourself."

Instead of switching it off, she turned it up. "I want to know what people are saying."

"_Why_?" Temari demanded with annoyance. "Why do you have to know?"

Because it took her mind off other things.

"_Again, we must ask ourselves: why fixate on Haruno Sakura? Is she not just an average young woman like the rest of us? What is it about her that gives these men the craving to have her?_" Another picture of Sakura was shown and this time, it was a picture of herself, Sasuke and Naruto, back before she had been attacked. They looked so young, so carefree and _so_ unaware that it secretly broke Sasuke on the inside. Back then, they hadn't a clue what the future had in store for them. They'd been so blind and unknowing! "_This was the Sakura before the attack._" The woman stated, surprising those in the room by how emotional she was getting. "_She had everything. Family, friends, a lover and a bright future ahead of her… But then Yakushi Kabuto came along. Orochimaru and his men came along._"

This time, another picture was put on screen, the sight of it knocking the breath out of Sakura and very nearly bringing tears to her eyes.

"How the hell did they get that?" Kankuro demanded, standing up and immediately taking out his phone to make a few calls.

The picture was of Sakura in Konoha Psychiatric Hospital. She looked lifeless, like a corpse. There wasn't a shred of herself in the girl on the picture. And whilst Sakura was fully clothed, she'd never felt so naked before. She was much thinner than usual, her pale skin was blemished, bruised and cut, most likely from the fights she had continuously gotten into, and… and her scars…

They were on show for the world to see.

"I'll find out who did this, Sakura." Gaara murmured, his eyes a fraction wider as they stayed glued to the screen, as they stayed glued to Sakura's eyes in the picture. He'd never seen her look so hopeless and lost before.

Sasuke's left eye twitched as he clenched his fists tightly, refusing to snap in front of her.

"_This was after the first attack, after Kabuto had sexually assaulted her, and after Zaku – who is also a member of Orochimaru's organisation – had used Sakura to make money for himself by selling her body._"

Temari swallowed hard, fighting back the urge to be sick.

But then something happened that had the woman's voice cutting off, something happened that had the image on screen disappearing and reappearing until finally, the screen was black and four white letters filled the blackness.

Pein.

Pein? Sakura's eyebrows knitted together lightly.

"_That is enough of such unnecessary reports_." a distorted voice sounded. It was deep, that much they could tell, but that could have been because of the distortion. It sounded high and low, like there were several different voices speaking at the same time. "_There are certain rules that must be followed in that woman's profession, and she has broken many of them. Discretion is apparently one of them. My apologies, Haruno Sakura, for not ending that transmission sooner._"

Despite the numbness or the anger she had been feeling nothing but lately, for a split second, shock was on Sakura's features, making her eyes go wide. By her side, the others were equally as stunned.

"_Almost two weeks ago now, Haruno Sakura was attacked. This is common knowledge now. However, what isn't known is that a member of my organisation died that day protecting her_."

"Konan." Sakura breathed, remembering the beautiful woman immediately.

Konan's face always haunted her dreams, now.

Gaara's head snapped to the side, regarding her with wide eyes. Konan? Sakura had encountered Akatsuki on the day she was attacked? Why hadn't she told him about it? Why had she not told Shisui about it in her statement? Was Akatsuki attempting to keep her quiet? Just why the hell were they protecting her, anyway? They had no connection!

"_This woman was like a sister to me and a very valued member of my organisation. Orochimaru._" the voice spoke up, sounding low and dark with anger and such pure evil that it sent shivers up everyone's spines. "_You will pay for the pain you have caused. You will suffer for the lives you have not only ruined, but have also taken. And since you are too much of a coward to come out of hiding, I will force you out of hiding_."

Suddenly, the word 'Pein' left the screen, being replaced by a dimly lit room with a single light brightening it. In the room were three men, two known to be some of the most wanted criminals and the other…

Was none other than Yakushi Kabuto.

The sight had Sakura's breath catching, had her fists clenching the sheets of her hospital bed tightly and the others all looked to her immediately, not sure whether they should switch the television off or not.

He was gagged, his hands were tied behind his back and his ankles and legs were tied tightly to the chair, all with rope. There was no hope in escaping for him and already, Kabuto looked as though he had been roughed up viciously. Actually, there was no doubt about it, as one of the men, the one with purple eyes that screamed his insanity and slicked back silver hair, smirked sadistically.

And then the distorted voice – now emotionless – was back, though no mouths on the screen moved.

"_Orochimaru_…"

The two men moved, the dark haired one, the tallest of the two gripping a tight hold of Kabuto's hair and yanking his head back, whilst the other whipped out something that flashed in the light, his strange eyes gleaming.

"_Know pain_."

"_No, please_–" Kabuto tried to beg through his gag, but his voice was nothing more than a muffled sob.

And then the knife was dragged across Kabuto's throat, the transmission cutting off with the sound of his murderer's insane laughter.


	29. I'll Fight For You

**Chapter 29 – I'll Fight For You**

It was finally time to bring Sakura home.

Sighing, Gaara leaned back on the sofa and continued to rub Ao's large head. He'd come home around a week ago and Sakura had demanded that he stay with the dog so that he wouldn't be alone. Arguing with her had been pointless because no matter what Gaara said, Sakura had been adamant about him looking after Ao. The argument had ended with her snapping, "_I have more than enough doctors and nurses here. Ao has nobody there and if I can't be there for him, I expect you to be_".

More like Sakura had enough doctors and nurses to torment.

He sighed again. That wasn't fair.

It was, however, the truth. So far Sakura had reduced seventeen nurses to tears either by simply glaring at them, spitting uncalled for names, or snapping at them when they said something to her. It just wasn't like her at all but Gaara knew he couldn't be upset with her about it. She'd just lost her first child and there was no way of knowing if she would be able to conceive again.

A few weeks after finding out they'd lost the baby, Gaara had asked Shizune if Sakura would be able to conceive in the future, as it was her womb that had been stabbed more than her stomach. The weary look on the dark haired woman's face still worried him. Apparently, there was no true way to know unless they began trying for a baby. Gaara wasn't sure either of them was ready for that and Shizune had warned him that Sakura's body definitely wouldn't be. What she needed now was rest and plenty of stability.

Stability? She hadn't left her hospital room once and refused to be placed onto a ward. The guards outside her room had heard and seen some of the things Sakura had been going through and saying, so because they were there, they'd also picked up on many things. Gaara had made sure that they didn't open their mouths about Sakura's miscarriage to anyone – especially not to the paparazzi or press.

Even though he was hurting, Gaara was shoving aside his pain and instead focusing on Sakura. She needed him to. Why? Because she wasn't coping. That much was obvious. Instead of opening up and telling him how she was feeling, Sakura was instead pushing everyone out and doing nothing but watch television. Ever since 'Pein' had had two of his men kill Kabuto, she'd been glued to the television, wanting updates about not only Orochimaru and Pein, but also about herself.

After making a few calls, Gaara was now taking not only the reporter to court, but also the person who had not only taken that vile picture of Sakura when she needed help most, but also leaked it.

It had been her previous psychiatrist. Ayano.

When he asked Sakura why she thought the woman would do such a thing, she only needed to say one word, one name. Moegi. The woman was getting Sakura back for taking away her number one patient. Even if she wasn't helping the girl, Moegi's parents had paid her a huge amount of money.

It was also safe to say that Tsunade was on the warpath, as Naruto told him that she had been screaming at Minato about destroying the woman, should she ever step foot in the building again. Nobody dared to say any different, to think she was bluffing and acting tough. Chances were, Tsunade _would_ attack and destroy the previous psychiatrist, Ayano. And whilst he wouldn't attack her, Kakashi was also pissed with the woman, as he knew just how badly Sakura needed help back then. To have somebody betray her trust, to _take pictures of her_ when she wasn't even clinging on anymore, was disgusting and unforgivable.

How long had she been stuck in that hospital for now? Over a month. Shizune had been ordered to keep Sakura there for longer as Tsunade didn't like how she was reacting to everything that had happened. She didn't like how she was freezing everyone out, how she didn't even look at them, how her empty eyes stayed glued to the television screen.

He wasn't going to lie. Gaara was hesitant about bringing her home. Here, they didn't have emergency services or nurses doing rounds to check up on her and other patients. Here, they didn't have the equipment needed to save her life should she try to take it. Gaara wasn't saying that she would, but…

Suicidal tendencies never truly left a person.

And this was one hell of a push.

Suddenly, the front door was being unlocked and somebody was walking in, making Ao growl and bark as he leapt to his feet, uncaring of his own injuries that were still healing.

To say Gaara was stunned when Sakura walked around the corner would be an understatement.

"I thought I was picking you up at three?"

She didn't say a word, merely went over to the other sofa and sat down, picking up the television remote on the way. It was then that Gaara heard the front door shutting, as did Ao, who looked ready to lunge.

"Ao."

That was all Sakura had to say to make him stop, to make him go to her and sit beside her silently.

Gaara watched the two of them warily for a moment before standing up and going around the corner, surprised only slightly to find Shisui there. He looked apologetic. "Forgive me, Gaara–kun. Shizune–san told me that you had arrangements to pick Sakura up at three o'clock." When Gaara nodded once, silently demanding to know what had changed, the Uchiha sighed. "As you know, reporters have been waiting outside of the hospital for Sakura, waiting for her to be discharged. Instead of following the previous plan, I parked my car around the back of the hospital and brought her home myself."

It aggravated him for some strange reason. Gaara had wanted to be the one to bring her home. "You should have informed me."

"I know." he stated, handing over the bag filled with her belongings. "I also have an update for you, Gaara–kun."

Previous anger left him momentarily. "On Orochimaru?"

"No, on Akatsuki. You wished to know why they are protecting her, right?" He nodded. Shisui sighed, knowing how risky sharing such information was. "I lied to both you and Sakura when you asked me what the connection could be. I already know what it is – _who_ it is. Over three years ago, I asked somebody to infiltrate the organisation on behalf of the police department. It was too risky to send an actual officer and with this man being who he is, it wasn't all too suspicious. He watches them, sharing all information with me. However, Akatsuki have been keeping him out of the major deals, still not trusting him completely. From what I can tell so far, despite their questionable methods, they _do_ wish for peace." At Gaara's brows mashing together, he continued. "I can tell you without a doubt that he asked for Sakura to be protected. The two men across the hall are members of Akatsuki for sure, as is the woman who gave her life to try and protect Sakura."

Konan.

"You don't need to keep calling him 'he'." Gaara told him, his voice cold. "I already know who the person is."

"How?"

"It isn't all that difficult to connect the dots. Sakura was attacked and the first person to find out and get to her, despite being on the other side of Konoha for a business meeting, was Itachi. Somehow, before confronting the attacker, Konan had contacted him."

Not for the first time, Shisui sighed, trying to ignore his building headache. "He's not a man who breaks composure, nor is he one who is controlled by his emotions. However receiving a call about Sakura being attacked made Itachi careless momentarily." A pause. "I have also found the man who stabbed Sakura."

Gaara's blood began to boil. "And?"

"He's dead."

Silence for a moment. "Who…?"

Shisui regarded him for a moment. "It was either Orochimaru, or Akatsuki. Think about it, Gaara–kun. _Who_ was fixated on Sakura? _Who_ was killed on television for millions to watch? _Who_ did he work for and _whose_ righthand man was he? Yakushi Kabuto. Orochimaru lost his most trusted and important righthand man because of the person who almost took Sakura's life, because of the person who took Konan's life. If Akatsuki, if this 'Pein', did not get a hold of the man first, then I know that Orochimaru would have."

Especially now that Akatsuki had more or less declared war on Orochimaru. Honestly, Gaara still couldn't believe that Kabuto was dead. Sakura's tormentor, the man who had raped her and shot him, was dead. It was kind of surreal and Gaara didn't know whether to celebrate, or to quietly release a sigh of relief. "Are you still unsure of how they managed to escape?"

He shot him an 'are you kidding me' kind of look before saying, "Akatsuki are very powerful and influential, Gaara–kun. I have no doubts that 'Pein' managed to break his way into the prison and sneak the three out. That or the two prisoners who killed Kabuto, Hidan and Kakuzu, somehow managed to escape and take him with them. Last time I checked, which was last night, all others who were sentenced – except for Karin – are still in their cells and they should be being watched much more closely. It will take a lot for them to escape and none of them will be worth the hassle."

Gaara's eyes narrowed. "Have you considered the possibility that Itachi let them out?"

"I have." Shisui informed him. "And I can assure you now, that that wasn't the case. Itachi wouldn't risk having such dangerous men set loose, not even if it meant extra protection for Sakura. These men, Gaara–kun, Hidan in particular, are insane and I don't say that word lightly. They are highly dangerous and have never shown a shred of remorse for the crimes they have committed. Before being arrested, Hidan confessed to killing over three hundred people. Who knows how many have died now that he has escaped? Itachi would not risk that, even if it meant blowing his cover."

It seemed he had offended the man. Gaara sighed.

Shisui also sighed, giving him a small smile. "I know you are stressed, Gaara–kun, as am I, but please have faith in Itachi. I sent him to Akatsuki for a reason, because I _know_ he can pull something like this off."

The redhead shook his head. "And if they find out? What happens to Itachi if his cover is blown?"

Silence.

"He can't die, Shisui." Gaara muttered, glancing over his shoulder towards the living room. "It will destroy her."

"I know." he replied just as quietly. "It's incredibly risky, but Itachi knows the risks. He also has a… friend, of sorts, within the organisation, one who has known him for a long time. If anything happens, I believe that member of Akatsuki will find a way to somehow get him out of there. If not, I will do everything within my power to protect him. Itachi has always been like a brother to me, and I would gladly give my life to save his."

Too much hoping was risky. "Do you know who 'Pein' is?"

Another pause. "I do. Itachi figured it out as soon as he saw the broadcast."

"And?"

"His real name is Uzumaki Nagato."

Gaara suddenly felt like it was difficult to breathe. "Uzumaki?"

"As far as I can tell, there is no relation between Nagato and Naruto–kun. At most, Nagato is a distant cousin of Kushina–san's." Shisui informed him. "Nagato is from a small village named Ame, but that is all we know about him."

Resisting the urge to suddenly punch a wall, as Gaara felt so very angry and stressed and _fuck_! He took a deep breath, willing himself to calm down. It wasn't Shisui's fault and in a way, he was grateful that the Uchiha was being so honest with him. "Thank you for the update." he murmured. "Are you staying?"

Shisui gave another small smile. "No, I just came to drop Sakura off. I believe Shizune–san already told you everything you need to know?" Gaara nodded once. "Take care of her, Gaara–kun and also yourself."

With that, he left.

When Gaara walked back into the living room, he paused at the sight of Sakura. Well, more like what she was doing. There wasn't any specific emotion on her face, but she was laughing bitterly. He frowned, following her hard eyes and when he saw the advert, he sighed. It was one of the latest Apple product adverts. What was it saying to everyone?

_Touching is knowing_.

"Are you hungry?" Gaara asked, trying to take her attention away from the television.

She didn't even look at him. "No."

"Sakura."

Slowly, reluctantly, her eyes dragged away from the television and over to him, watching him blankly and raising an eyebrow.

"You need to eat."

"I'm not hungry." her eyes moved back to the television.

It wouldn't have bothered him so much if Shizune hadn't told him the other day that Sakura wasn't eating full meals. Had she eaten breakfast that morning? Had she had a quick lunch before leaving the hospital? These were things he probably should have asked Shisui, had his mind not been on other matters. In order to recover fully and without a problem, Sakura had to eat properly.

"Sakura, you need to eat." Gaara murmured tiredly, not wanting to start an argument and by Sakura's side, Ao whined in agreement. "I've been told you that you haven't been eating properly at the hospital."

"I'll eat when I'm hungry."

Frustration swelled within him, but Gaara shoved it down. "You need to keep your strength up. Shizune said–"

"I don't care what she said. _I'm not hungry_."

"Fine." Gaara muttered, walking over to the home line. If he couldn't make her eat, then he knew who could.

"What–"

He glanced over his shoulder at her to see that Sakura was finally looking at him, a look of annoyance and confusion on her face. "I'm ringing Itachi. Since you're acting like a child, I will have him come and treat you like one." He paused, watching the anger that flashed over her features. "I'm not treating you like one. You're my fiancée, not my daughter or younger sister. Since you're Itachi's younger sister, and you're acting like a child, he–"

She shot up out of her seat, glaring at him angrily before stomping her way past him and into the kitchen. Looking around at the food that had been prepared earlier, her stomach flipped horribly at both the sight _and_ the smell. It all seemed so unappetising. "Fine." she repeated his earlier word, grabbing a sandwich that had been made and shoving it into her mouth when Gaara followed her. "Is this better?" Sakura demanded, forcing back the urge to throw up. "_Is this better_? Look, Gaara! I can't swallow! I can't–"

Before she could choke, Gaara patted her back harshly, forcing her to cough the chunks of sandwich out of her throat. "If you can't swallow, you should have just said." he muttered, grabbing Sakura's wrist to stop her from walking away. She glared right back at him. "Instead of trying to prove a point, or almost choking yourself, you could have just said and I would have made something smaller, something easier to swallow. Like soup."

She shook her head with annoyance. "You don't understand."

"Then _make me_." he growled.

His anger only made her feel even angrier. "The sight, the smell… It puts me off food!" she snapped at him. "Making smaller meals, making soup, isn't going to make it better, Gaara. Not if I can't even stand the smell of it. It's like just the sight of the food makes my throat feel impossibly tight and the smell… It makes me _sick_. My stomach twists and churns and feels like somebody has shoved their hand right through it." Yanking her arm out of his hold, Sakura narrowed her eyes. "So go ahead and make smaller meals. Call Itachi. It's not going to change anything. If I can't eat, then it's not going to happen."

The way they were acting towards each other was not something Gaara liked. He didn't like the burning anger he could feel. He didn't like seeing that same anger in Sakura's eyes. After everything that had happened, the last thing either of them needed was to fall out with each other and argue.

"Forgive me." he sighed.

Sakura paused, something flashing in her eyes until she nodded and walked out of the kitchen, going back to the television.

* * *

As Shizune had informed them on the day Sakura woke up, Tsunade had wanted to give them both therapy sessions. Not individually like Gaara had first thought, but together. Unlike when Sakura previously went to see Tsunade, their sessions were not weekly and were instead monthly. This would be their first therapy session.

They were sat side by side on a dark green leather sofa in Tsunade's office, with said blonde sitting opposite them on her chair which was the same colour. It was his first time seeing the woman's office, as he had never accompanied Sakura on her weekly sessions, knowing how private they were or could be. She hadn't needed those sessions in over seven months, however. She had been making great progress.

It was such an open office, the large floor to ceiling windows allowing so much natural light in and giving them a view of the city from way up high. As Tsunade's floor was the second to the top (Minato's being right at the top), she had a stunning view. Those windows were double glazed, however, and they were also locked tightly. It didn't offer him the peaceful, free feeling they were most likely supposed to. It made Gaara feel rather trapped. The carpet was plain and beige, the walls were panelled. Everything was simple with nothing extravagant or unnecessary. A few plants were spotted around the room and across from them, was Tsunade's mahogany desk, the wood matching the coffee table that was resting between the sofa and chair where they were seated.

The whole introductory had been a little off, Gaara had noticed. It was like Tsunade was trying her best to remain professional, when she wanted nothing more than to reach out and comfort Sakura. Bringing up the attack had been done perfectly, of course, but the moment she moved onto the miscarriage… Well, the blonde's usually hard expression cracked and they got to see the woman beneath. They got to see the empathy, the pain.

It felt a little awkward opening up to them both. Not so much Sakura, but Tsunade… Yes. It was just something Gaara wasn't used to. The only people he ever told his problems to was either Sakura or Naruto. So, he chose to remain silent as much as possible, instead listening to Sakura.

"You said it's never ending." Tsunade murmured softly with a frown. "What did you mean by that?"

"It feels like I'm going around in circles." Sakura told Tsunade, her eyes empty as she stared at the blonde. "Just one thing after another. The moment I'm up, the moment I'm starting to cope again, something else comes along and knocks me back down."

Those apple green eyes were unpleasant to look at, so much so that Tsunade had to force herself to maintain eye contact. There used to be so much fight in Sakura. The first time she had met the girl, she had been snarling and screaming like a feral animal. Now? Now, the girl was broken and abused and weary. Life had abused her so many times and now, she was exhausted.

"And…" Sakura paused, her eyes finally breaking contact with Tsunade's (who inwardly heaved a sigh of relief) and moving away from both the blonde's and Gaara's, staring out of the window. "And lately, I've been beginning to think what's the point in even trying to get back up? No matter what, something bigger and scarier is going to knock me back down, so… _What's the point_?" She immediately felt Gaara's eyes on her. "I don't like being like this. I really don't. I'm just so tired of having to pick up the pieces, or have them picked up for me, only for everything to fall apart again. All of the attacks either last year or before. My parents, Ao… Me… T–The baby. Just… What's the point?"

"The point is, is that you don't give those bastards the satisfaction of seeing the effect they have on you." Tsunade said and despite her harsh words, her voice was quiet, soft. It was determined. "None of the things that have happened to you are easily overcome, yet you keep proving everyone wrong by getting–"

"I can't do that with this." she whispered, cutting the blonde off. "I'm tired."

Gaara opened his mouth, but his voice got stuck in his throat. It seemed Tsunade noticed this, however, as she remained quiet, nodding once to him in a silent way of telling him that it was okay to open up around her. "I'll fight for you." Gaara finally told her. "If you're tired, then I'll fight for you."

Finally, since leaving the hospital, an emotion that wasn't bitterness or anger showed on Sakura's features as they scrunched up, as tears filled her eyes and a helpless sob left her not even a moment later.

* * *

It was the end of November and after putting it off for so long, Gaara finally began planning Sabaku Corporation's annual Christmas party. Well, Temari began to plan it with his permission. He had a feeling she had been doing it for the past month, though, considering just how detailed all of her ideas were and the fact that she had designs for the invitations already printed.

"This is one of the few things I enjoyed about being the leader." Temari muttered, going through her folder. "It might not seem it, but I don't mind planning a few parties here and there."

It helped to take your mind off of things, Gaara supposed whilst glancing over at Sakura, who was sitting beside Kankuro.

She'd been getting better lately. No, things weren't perfect and there were days when she just had absolutely zero energy to communicate with the rest of the world, but Gaara liked to think that Sakura was truly on the road to recovery now. Once more, she was eating – taking it slowly with small portions, but still eating more than she had been. Also, Sakura had stopped sitting in front of the television all day and began doing college work from home.

The only problem was that, other than going to monthly sessions with Tsunade (and that had only been once), Sakura did not leave the condo. She simply refused to do so. It had taken her an entire three days to allow Gaara to take Ao on walks again and he knew that the entire time, she had been restless, waiting for him to return and welcoming Ao like she hadn't seen him in years, instead of only a half hour – an hour at most.

Gaara could understand why Sakura was scared to go out, why she was afraid of letting Ao out. People were after her and had no problem whatsoever with harming her loved ones. However, she had to fight. She had to show them that they didn't scare her, even though Gaara knew that they did. They terrified her. It was the way she would try so very hard not to go to sleep, and when she _did_ sleep, Sakura would scream and thrash, to the point where he had even had to pin her down to keep her from hurting herself, which only made the situation worse. Being pinned down petrified her, which wasn't so very hard to believe given everything that had happened to Sakura.

But she was trying now. It was in the way she was forcing herself to converse with his siblings, sitting with them all in his home office and helping plan the Christmas party with them. Whether she would be attending or not, wasn't very clear.

"What do you think, Sakura?" Temari asked, finally finding a copy of the invitation she had designed. "Classy, right?"

It was. But that wasn't what Sakura's eyes were glued onto. "Yeah." she murmured, throat tight once more and her stomach feeling like it was about to come out of her mouth. "Classy."

Not realising that something was wrong with her, Temari went on to show the invitation to Gaara, who instantly realised why his fiancée looked so pale, why she looked like she was about to throw up.

Gaara took one look at the overly expensive invitation and shook his head, silently declining.

Temari frowned. "What's your problem? We can't host a Christmas dinner party on Christmas Day! People want to spend that time with their families, Gaara."

"And we all know Sakura loves planning parties." Kankuro added with a shrug, nudging the woman who was like a sister to him with his elbow. She barely even batted an eyelid, but he didn't notice. "This will–"

"Not that night."

Gaara's voice held no room for arguments, but still, they pushed. "Why not?" Temari demanded. "You may own the company now, Gaara, but you can't be throwing your weight around and demanding everything! You have to schedule everything perfectly, otherwise nobody will turn up! That's bad for business. That's why I chose the week before Christmas–"

The look she was suddenly shot was angry, downright murderous. "_Choose another night, Temari._"

It was when Sakura stood up and left the room, rushing to the bathroom, that realisation hit them, as old stories replayed in their minds.

Temari collapsed backwards onto the sofa in Sakura's previous seat, rubbing her temples with a sigh. "I completely forgot."

"Will Sakura even be coming to the party?" Kankuro questioned, though when the response was a dark look from his younger brother, he raised his hands defensively. "I'm only asking because she hasn't left the condo in weeks. You need to try and get her out, Gaara."

Did they think he hadn't tried? Hadn't spent hours trying to talk Sakura into at least going grocery shopping with him? Hell, even Naruto and Ino had been over to try and talk her into going out with them. Nothing. Nothing worked and nobody was getting through to her. Both Tsunade and Kakashi had informed him that Sakura needed some time, that she would leave when she was ready, but she couldn't stay locked up in the condo until then. It wasn't healthy and it sure as hell wasn't doing any good.

"It doesn't matter." Gaara muttered. "If you keep that date, I myself won't be attending."

"Gaara–"

"This is not up for discussion." he told them seriously, hearing the sound of water beginning to run. No doubt Sakura would be having a bath. Around this time of year, she washed a lot more than usual – sometimes having up to four baths or showers a day. Gaara had never questioned her, but one day, she'd whispered to him that she washed so much at this time of year because she could still smell him on her. Kabuto. Even after all this time, she felt as though she could still smell his scent and Sakura would try everything to wash it off. "Either you change the date, or I will not be attending."

Just as Kankuro was about to argue, Temari silenced him and nodded in agreement. "Okay. What date will be okay?"

Gaara thought back to last year's Christmas party. "Have it on the twenty–first."

"That's quite close to Christmas…"

"Temari."

"Okay, okay." the blonde sighed, taking back the planning invitation and scribbling out the date, writing down the new one. "Anything else?"

"No."

"Good. I'll have all the invitations sent out as soon as I get the date changed." A pause. "Is Sakura going to be okay? I didn't mean to upset her. I honestly forgot the date."

Honestly? Gaara had no idea. He sighed and stood up from his chair. "I will go and check on her. Wait here."

* * *

Once the bath was filled up halfway, Sakura reached out and switched off the tap. She used to bathe in hot water until Gaara scolded her for it. Why? Because it wasn't just hot. It was scalding. To the point where she would step out and her skin would no longer be pale, but an angry red colour. He'd only found out when he went to join her in the bath, only to immediately get out and also drag her out when the water burned him.

Now, reluctantly, she bathed in warm water which bordered on hot. It pained her that she couldn't even run a bath the way she _needed_ it without being reprimanded, but Sakura had accepted. She couldn't remember what he had said to make her agree with him, but it had been something that struck her deeply at the time.

Even after all these years, she could still feel him on her. Even after all these years, she could still smell his scent on her skin. It made her feel sick with herself, which was why she was suddenly taking so many baths. It was like this every year around this time, especially the week before Christmas. On the seventeenth or the eighteenth she had been raped – Sakura couldn't remember the exact date due to it being past midnight when Kabuto had attacked her. It was all blurry and confusing from having shut those dark, disgusting memories away for so long.

She blankly stared ahead of herself, knees brought up to her chest with her arms wrapped around them.

Part of her wanted Gaara – needed him. She wanted to tell him that she was so very grateful for all he had done, for once again putting her before himself. Sometimes, though, it hurt just to look at him. It reminded her of the life they had created and lost.

It was getting easier, though. Every day that went by, every time she caught him watching her, every time he did something for her without a single complaint or any annoyance leaking from him, made it easier.

She was not alone in this.

Sometimes, though, it felt like she was.

She hadn't felt this alone in a while.

Reaching out for the sponge, Sakura's eyes drifted away from the wall as her fingers instead brushed against something else, knocking it into the water. It was with a sigh of annoyance that she retrieved it. Instead of placing it back onto the side, however…

Sakura looked down at the razor, her eyebrows knitting together.

Like she had told Sasuke only a few months ago, Sakura could still remember everything about that night. She could still remember how it felt, how everything had felt. Her first suicide attempt. Sure, it hadn't been with a razor and had in fact been with a pair of scissors, but the meaning was not lost on her.

"Sakura?"

The trance the razor had on her broke, her eyes snapping up to the door to see Gaara stood there. He seemed hesitant, watching her with obvious wariness. That wariness only grew as the creeping unease in his stomach was explained, as he noticed the razor that was being held tightly in her hand.

"I–"

"You don't need to explain yourself to me." he told her quietly, closing the bathroom door behind himself as he entered slowly, kneeling down beside the bathtub. Watching her eyes for a moment, he leaned forward and took a hold of her hands, removing the razor and placing it at the other end of the tub. "Look at me, Sakura." She did so without words. "I'm here." She bit her lip harshly. "You don't need to rely on outlets like those. I'm here." Without even taking his clothes off, Gaara stood up and got in the bath with her, pulling Sakura to him once he was sat down. "I don't know exactly what's going through your mind, but… I'm here. No matter how scary or dark those thought are, I'm here for you. Always."

"I–It hurts." she whimpered to him, eyes squeezing closed as he held her head against his chest, running his hand through her sweat dampened hair. "It hurts, Gaara."

Gaara closed his eyes, feeling the same pain. "I know."

Her hands gripped at his arms tightly, seeking comfort for the first time in weeks. "What if we never get over this? W–What if this… This…"

When her voice trailed off, Gaara released her hair and cupped her cheek, lifting her head and forcing her eyes to meet his. "It will most likely always hurt, Sakura. But being there for each other will make it easier."

A knock on the door paused their conversation, reminding them of the two that had been visiting them. However, just as Gaara opened his mouth, Temari was speaking. "_We're going to head out now, Gaara. Give you both some time together. See you later!_"

They were silent for a while, listening to the two siblings outside the bathroom talking to each other as they left, locking the door behind them with the key that had been given to them in case of emergencies.

As soon as the door was shut, Gaara closed his eyes again and pressed his lips to her forehead. "Sakura…" sighing, he pulled back, watching her eyes seriously. "No matter how dark your thoughts and feelings are or get, I want you to tell me. Don't force yourself to go through this alone."

She nodded quickly, fresh tears slipping down her cheeks as she shifted closer to Gaara, holding him tightly.

* * *

On the other side of Konoha, it was safe to say that what was happening, was not pleasant or sentimental. It was angry, hateful and dark.

After the attack on Haruno Sakura, after the death of their member, Konan, Akatsuki had been on the move. They had been seeking out every single one of Orochimaru's lackeys, they had been breaking into prisons, breaking out their members and also a couple of others.

Regarding the bored looking boy sitting in the room before him, his legs bent upwards with his elbows resting on his knees like he hadn't a care in the world, a tall blue skinned man bit back his snarl. The brat couldn't see him due to the one–way mirror, but he knew that he was aware of his presence, of the danger he radiated. It was in the clenching of his fists, the tension in his shoulders. Despite the look on his face, the lack of care, the boy was aware of his presence and what would be coming.

"You sure you want no part in this?" he asked his partner, who chose to remain in the darkened area behind him.

Unlike the rest of them, his partner did not take part in the torturing. He took no part in breaking out the members of Akatsuki who had been in prison and hadn't known until it was broadcast for the entire world to see. He'd been angered when he found out, downright livid that such homicidal maniacs had been set loose in Konoha, but had not argued.

Things had gone way too far for him to give up now.

"Deal with him, Kisame–san."

Of course his enigmatic partner would want no part in this, Kisame inwardly snorted before moving over to the door that separated the two rooms, swinging it open and allowing it to bang against the wall. It wasn't that he was too soft, as Kisame had seen the damage his partner could cause and the pain he was capable of inflicting (sometimes with words alone). It was simply that he had a… pacifistic nature. Only he knew of it, however. If the rest of Akatsuki knew, they would immediately be suspicious.

The kid before him shifted immediately, standing up and preparing himself, but there was no use in doing such a thing. After all, Kisame was well known for exhausting his enemies to the point where they were utterly useless and defenceless against him. This brat could just about stand up and that was _with_ the help of the wall behind him.

"It's been a while, Suigetsu."

The boy snarled in response.

"No welcoming? No 'hellos'? You've always been such a smartass with witty comebacks. Seems prison has changed you." The blue skinned man chuckled, his sharpened teeth looking like a shark's and giving him exactly the response he always wanted. Intimidation and fear. "You were raised better than that by your older brother, kid."

Another snarl. "You know nothing about Mangetsu!" Suigetsu snapped in response, fists clenching tightly despite how weak he felt. "_Nothing_!"

"Oh?" Kisame once again chuckled, though there was a darker edge to his chuckles. "I know enough to know that he'd be disappointed with your actions. Cold man with a heart made of pure ice, but Mangetsu was aware of the differences between sick and downright disgusting." When Suigetsu paused, shifting against the wall that was holding him up, beady eyes narrowed. "How did he die again?" Silence. "He died saving a girl, didn't he? Saving her from what?" Again, silence. This time instead of answering for him, Kisame's patience snapped. "Answer!"

"From being raped." he muttered, purple eyes staying glued to Kisame's. "And his weakness got him killed. He let his guard down for a split second, just a split second, and it got him killed."

"Do you think that, had he still been here, he'd have made a different choice?"

A pause. "…No."

"Would he be disgusted with you?"

No answer.

He lunged.

"You raped an innocent, barely even conscious girl?" Kisame snorted, pinning Suigetsu with just one movement. It had already been obvious that he was _not_ in the mood to mess around with him, but that knowledge was only strengthened in the way he was cutting to the chase, getting straight to it. "That's not how you treat a lady, kid."

"Sakura's not a lady–"

"I'd watch my mouth if I were you." the man chuckled. "You see that guy there? He's like her older brother."

Suigetsu reluctantly followed Kisame's eyes and was petrified to see none other than Uchiha Itachi stood in the doorway, staring back at him without emotion. "You…"

"You will tell us where Orochimaru is." Itachi stated emotionlessly.

His purple eyes widened, head shaking quickly. "I don't know anything about Orochimaru's plans or where he is!"

The large man sighed with frustration, glancing over at his partner. "What do you think?"

He thought that Sakura had been hurt for the last time.

"Do whatever is necessary to make him talk."

With that, Itachi turned his back on the scene before him, ignoring the scream of torture that echoed along the bare, cement walls of the old run–down Uchiha police headquarters.

* * *

**A/N - When I'm feeling stressed or any negative emotions, it seems to be when I write the most and lately, since I've been feeling nothing but stressed for several different reasons, I've been doing a lot for this story. I can say now that I have only two chapters left to write for it until it's over (35 chapters in total). Somebody asked before if I'd write a prequel, one that's in Sasuke's point of view of how his and Sakura's relationship started. Sorry that I can't remember who asked (it was a while ago) but if you're still reading this, do you still want me to write that prequel? I kind of have the first two chapters done, but I don't want to go any further in case nobody wants to read it.**

**Bluergh. Anyways. Hope you're all well! I promise things will eventually get better for Sakura!**


	30. We Can't All Win

**Chapter 30 – We Can't All Win**

They were talking about Kabuto's death again, Sakura noted silently, her eyes blinking once at the television screen as his picture was shown. The picture was creepy and it felt like his cruel, dark eyes were burning straight through her, like he was still alive and staring right at her, or watching her from beyond the grave.

She sighed and changed the channel, leaving on a re–run of an old cartoon she used to watch as a child, though her eyes weren't really taking much in as her mind wandered.

Kabuto was dead.

He was really dead.

But… Why didn't Sakura feel any lighter knowing that? Why wasn't she sighing with relief and why wasn't that disgusting feeling that plagued her every single time it got around to this time of the year, not disappearing? Kabuto was dead. He was gone. Why the hell hadn't he taken the pain he left her with, with him? The pain of being a victim, of having to relive what he did to her over and over again in her dreams, of everything he had ever put her through! Why couldn't he have taken all of that with him as he took his last breath?

"I thought I'd feel relieved."

Gaara paused in exiting the bathroom, paused in ruffling his hair dry with a towel. "About?"

"His death." Sakura murmured, a soft frown on her features as she turned away from the television to look at Gaara. "I've always thought that I'd be relieved the day Kabuto died, but… I don't feel anything except for bitter anger."

He sighed, closing the dark wood door of the bathroom and walking across the open living room, taking a seat beside Sakura on the dark leather sofa. Lately the condo had been feeling rather small to Gaara and every single day that went by with them staying indoors, it got even smaller. Yes, he ran errands and did the grocery shopping, took Ao on walks, but that was all. Except for those short trips, he stayed in with Sakura. Gaara wasn't complaining, especially after the bath incident last week, but part of him… Part of him was ready to test her, to push her. She had to learn to get over it, or at least put it all in the past.

"That's because you're closing yourself off to everything else, Sakura." he told her in a quiet murmur. "Not only your friends, but also your emotions. You're focusing too much on what you think you should be feeling, leaving you to grow angry with yourself because you're not experiencing those emotions."

"And _I'm_ the one who's supposed to be studying psychiatry."

"Supposed to be." Gaara agreed, staring into her eyes when they snapped to his in confusion, her eyebrows knitting together. "You're falling behind so much, to the point where you may not be able to simply take extra classes to make up for it. The college knows what you're going through as Tsunade thought it best to tell them, to try and save your spot, but… She can't keep telling them that you'll be back soon, when none of us know when 'soon' is."

Anger flitted over her features at his words, but Sakura wasn't angry with Gaara. She was angry with Tsunade for sharing something so private with her college. "Just say whatever you're trying to say, Gaara. You used to be much more blunt than this at school."

"And you used to be much stronger than this." he retorted. "What I'm saying is that… If you continue going on like this, shutting yourself in all day and refusing to communicate with anyone, you're going to fail your course and the college may never offer you this chance again – you said so yourself, that you were lucky your tutor was so understanding and gave you another chance. You promised her that you wouldn't make her regret it."

That was true. Getting into that college had been difficult enough as it was, what with her poor attendance in high school. Sure, her grades had been excellent and she could afford the tuition fees, plus her work ethic was great, _however_ there had been a catch on the day she enrolled. If Sakura was unable to keep her attendance at a satisfactory level, then her place would be given to somebody else, somebody who was 'serious' about the course. That was what her tutor had told her the last time Sakura had had an unknown amount of time off due to her episode. Who knows what they'd tell her this time?

She sighed and shifted in her position, laying down and resting her head on Gaara's lap. "I don't have the energy to speak to them right now."

He rested his hand on her side and leaned back on the sofa. "You're going to have to find the energy from somewhere, unless you want me to speak with them?"

"No," Sakura muttered, closing her eyes, "it'd be better if I spoke to them myself, but for now… I just…"

"I know." Gaara said in a quiet voice, one that relaxed her. There was a short pause. "I contacted Itachi earlier."

Slowly, Sakura's eyes opened, staring ahead of herself blankly as she felt her anger being sparked to life once more. "Why?"

"Because we had to arrange what time he would come and pick you up." he told her simply, watching as she sat up and turned to glare at him. "You're going outside today, Sakura. Even if it's only for twenty minutes, you are going outside."

"Gaara–"

"It's not healthy staying locked indoors all day, every day." Gaara cut her off, standing up and making his way to the room that was more or less a huge wardrobe. It was easily the same size as their bedroom, yet most of it was filled with Sakura's clothing, with her shoes and her bags and her accessories. Only one wardrobe in that room belonged to him and Gaara would like to keep it that way. The amount of clothes his fiancée had was ridiculous. "Tsunade agrees with my decision, as does Itachi. He will be here in half an hour, so I suggest you start getting ready now."

Face flushing red with anger, Sakura swiftly stood to her feet, although paused for a moment as dizziness almost overwhelmed her and black dots stole her vision. Only seconds later and she was throwing the remote onto the sofa angrily, stomping after Gaara. "If you want to go back to work, then go! I'm not stopping you. I don't need to have somebody babysitting me."

There was no answer for a moment as Gaara opened a door to his wardrobe and grabbed the first suit he spotted. "You–"

"I'm not going to try and kill myself!" she yelled at him. "That thing with the razor was _nothing_, Gaara. If I wanted to kill myself, do you really think I'd let you stop me?" Sakura demanded, her hand lashing out to the side in a display of her anger. "There have been _so many_ opportunities for me to kill myself, Gaara, but did I take any of those opportunities? _No_!"

He took a second to compose himself, to try and push aside his anger and remain calm. It wasn't working like it usually did. They were both stressed, both still pained over the loss of their unborn child, and both still on edge after Sakura had been attacked by Orochimaru's men, regardless of the fact that not only Kabuto was dead, but also the man who had stabbed Sakura.

"So you're saying that nothing I say or do would have any effect on you, should you try to kill yourself?" Gaara questioned with a cold look in his eyes.

Another pause, one where Sakura realised fully what she had yelled at him, but her pride refused to let her take it back. She could be just as proud and just as stubborn as Gaara could be – and he knew that. So instead of replying, Sakura merely stared at him.

He shook his head with anger and disbelief. "Do I mean absolutely nothing to you? Does our relationship and everything we've been through mean nothing to you?"

Silence.

Dropping the suit that had been getting more and more wrinkled as his fists clenched it tightly, Gaara grabbed Sakura's arm, yanking her closer. "Answer me, Sakura."

"And if I don't?" she demanded, glaring down at his hand before glaring up at him. "What if I refuse to answer such a stupid question?"

"Then I'm left wondering what any of this meant." Gaara's voice was quieter now, his hold loosening. That didn't mean the intensity of his words was any smaller, however. No, it was like having them spoken more quietly, with his face so close to hers, made them even more powerful. "You're the first person I ever let in after being betrayed so badly that it _broke me_, Sakura. You know that better than anyone. If you think that that means nothing… Then I don't know who you are anymore."

She yanked her arm out of his hold, though surprised Gaara when her hand clutched his tightly, her other snaking its way around his shoulders and gripping a fistful of damp red hair, using it to pull him closer. The kiss Sakura dragged Gaara into was painful. Not physically, but emotionally. Even after all this time, after all the times he had told her she didn't need sex to express how she was feeling inside, Sakura could still not fully understand how else to tell him.

So she allowed her actions to do so, backing Gaara up against her vanity table, ignoring the make up and bottles of perfume that were knocked over and fell to the ground. All she cared about was showing him that it did matter – that all of it did.

As much as he wanted to push her away, to make her say the words instead of using sex as a way to tell him, Gaara had missed her touch badly over the past month or so. He'd missed having her pressed against him like she currently was, missed having her pant against his lips as she restlessly ran her hands over his back and through his hair. Instead, Gaara was pulling her impossibly closer, turning them around and lifting Sakura onto the vanity table, his kiss bruising her lips and scorching her insides all at the same time.

Pressing her cheek against his, Sakura closed her eyes and gasped as Gaara rolled his hips into hers.

A feeling she had never felt before whilst with him washed over her.

She masked her frown and pulled her head back, kissing him once more with the same bruising force as before, holding him tightly.

He gripped her thigh with one hand, the other grabbing her ass and guiding her into a long and hard grind against his arousal, one that would have previously had her arching and moaning his name.

But that very same feeling washed over her.

Panic.

Fear.

Sakura turned her head to the side, panting hard as she broke their kiss. A second later and she was pushing at Gaara's shoulder, pushing him away. "Stop."

He pulled away instantly, staring down at her with uncertain eyes. "Sakura?"

"I–I can't." she whispered, tears slipping down her cheeks. "I can't."

It was too difficult for her. Gaara reached for her slowly, showing her that there was nothing sexual about his touch as he brought her closer to him and off the vanity table so that she was stood up. He embraced her lovingly, tightly. "It's okay."

"No, it's not!" Sakura snapped, burying her face into his chest. "I–I've never… Even after everything that's happened… I've never panicked during sex or when we're on our way to having it and I–" she cut herself off, sobbing once. "I don't get it!"

It was true. Sakura had _never_ panicked when they were either having, or about to have sex. The only sex that bothered her was BDSM or anything that involved her being unable to control her own movements. Having him pin her down with his hands and body was fine, but not with any kinky sex toys such as rope or handcuffs. It unsurprisingly and understandably made her uneasy and uncomfortable. Even then, though, Sakura never panicked. She simply told him to stop and that she didn't want to do it like that. The same went for the night she had been raped. Absolutely no sex or sexual advances/touching. However, that was something Gaara picked up on right at the beginning, and he would have never expected sex out of Sakura on the day/night that was the anniversary of her being raped. He didn't expect sex out of her at all.

Pausing for a moment to try and clear his lust hazed mind, Gaara murmured quietly, "Perhaps it is something connected to the baby?"

She stiffened in his arms, flinched like she had been struck, before his bare chest grew wet with her tears. "…M–Maybe."

Cradling her back of her head, he tilted it back until she was looking upwards at him. "It's okay to still be in pain, Sakura."

"Are you?" Sakura asked in a whisper, eyes glassy with the tears. "Are you in pain?"

He nodded silently.

Her expression seemed to crumble as it scrunched up, as she cried, "I'm so sorry!"

How could she have been so selfish? It was obvious Gaara was going to be in pain! He would have been a father. All that had been running through Sakura's mind was that she had been _carrying_ the baby, therefore it was obvious she'd be feeling the most pain. How could she have thought in such a selfish way? It didn't matter – not entirely – that she had been carrying the baby. It took them both to create it. It had been just as much Gaara's child as it had hers.

"I'm so sorry!" she sobbed, clutching a tighter hold of him. "Please… Please forgive me for being so… so, _so selfish_!"

"There's nothing to forgive you for." Gaara told her as his voice dropped to a whisper, once more forcing Sakura to look at him. "Everybody handles grief differently – you said that yourself. I pushed it away, refused to feel it and instead focused entirely on you. I still… haven't completely accepted what happened, but I can still feel it."

"It's like something's missing." Sakura whispered.

"…Yeah."

Incredibly loud barking reached their ears as somebody knocking on the front door set Ao off, had him darting to the door despite the fact he was still recovering himself.

"That will be Itachi." Gaara murmured. He sighed. "I'll tell him you don't–"

"No." she shook her head. "I'll… I'll go out with him. I need to try and get over this. It's… It's turning me into somebody I don't even recognise and I hate it."

He pressed his forehead to hers, closing his eyes. She was finally seeing things from another's perspective, was realising what she was doing to herself. "Thank you."

A small twitch of the lips was all he received in response.

* * *

"Itachi, can you tell me more about her?"

He didn't need to ask to know who she was asking about.

"Konan was…" Itachi sighed. "She was like you."

A victim, Sakura thought the words he would never say.

"She liked to keep to herself." he murmured from his seat beside her in his home. "I didn't see much of Konan and I had never had a real conversation with her, but from what little I knew of her, from what little I saw of her, I could tell that Konan had seen many traumatic things that left her scarred."

"And… Was Yahiko one of them?"

He nodded, sighing once more. "Yahiko was Konan's lover – they grew up together after he came across her one day. I believe they were only children at the time, although I do not know their exact ages. Whatever ages they were, the two were orphans when Yahiko found Konan and since the day he found her, he kept her very close to him. They were friends, best friends. Eventually as the years went on, that friendship grew to be more and they fell in love with each other."

Frowning softly, Sakura shifted in her place on the navy sofa, folding her legs beneath herself. "So Konan was attacked before she met Yahiko?"

It broke her heart when Itachi shook his head. "It was whilst she was with him."

Whilst she was… Sakura's breath caught in her throat and her stomach lurched horribly. "They made him watch."

"So I have heard." he murmured. For a while, Itachi watched Sakura's expression before coming to a decision. "They had another friend, one who was also made to witness Konan being sexually assaulted. During their time together, Yahiko and Konan came across another orphan, one who was withdrawn and lonely and had very little going for him. Many years before the attack, the three of them crossed paths with a man, one who taught them many things – basic survival skills and self defence. A few years down the line and he had to leave, leaving the three of them alone once more.

"However, they were more confident this time and Yahiko had a dream of ridding our world of crime and hatred – to make it a peaceful place for everyone." At the face she pulled, Itachi gave a small smile. "It is a rather big dream, one that would probably take many lifetimes to actually be made into a reality, but they all worked hard for Yahiko's dream." Another pause as Itachi remembered the story he had been told, the story he had had to piece together from many different people's perspectives. "It wasn't long after Yahiko proposed to Konan that they were attacked. I'm not too sure on what happened, but I know that the attack went on for an entire week. Yahiko as well as his friend were tortured, but when the attackers found that it had very little effect on the men…"

Sakura's eyes filled with tears. "They used Konan against them, forcing them to watch as they raped her."

Itachi nodded once. "They did."

"But they all got out, right?" she whispered almost desperately, her heart aching. "They got out and–"

"No, Sakura." he told her quietly, not surprised that she was feeling such strong emotions for the woman who had given her life to protect her. "To stop the men from raping Konan again, Yahiko had to make a decision." This part of the story, he was certain of. He knew it was the truth. In an incredibly rare moment of openness, Nagato had told him about it. "He gave his life to protect her, just as Gaara–kun had almost done for you. Unfortunately for Yahiko and Konan, however, there was nobody around who could help in time and he died in her and their friend's arms." A pause. "He died with a smile on his face."

"And… And what happened to the guys who attacked them?"

"The friend I was telling you about… He killed them after Yahiko died. Part of Yahiko's deal was for the two to be freed from their confinements and he wanted to see that before he died. The attackers were unaware of him taking the weapon used to kill Yahiko, and only found out when it was too late."

She felt like crying and screaming. It wasn't fair! Like with her, life just seemed to throw the worst scenarios possible at the three and now the three was down to one. Two of them had died and one of their death's was all her fault. That was something Sakura knew she would feel guilty for, for the rest of her life.

Wiping her eyes, she took a deep breath. "Their friend… He's the one who…"

Again, Itachi knew exactly what Sakura was thinking. "He did not personally kill Kabuto, but yes, he was the one who ordered it."

"And you know who he is." she whispered, watching his expression carefully. However, as usual, barely any emotion was shown and Itachi stared back at her blankly. "You know who their friend is. Please… Please can you arrange a… arrange a meeting between us? I–I need to… I need to apologise. I need him to know how sorry I am."

That wasn't a good idea, Itachi wanted to tell her. Right at that moment in time, Nagato was unstable. He was shoving away his grief and instead focusing on nothing more than anger and hatred. It was like he was turning into a completely different person! Nagato was supposed to be wise, was supposed to be serious, calm and deadly. Right now he was only seriously angry and seriously deadly.

"Sakura," Itachi sighed, "Konan's death is not your fault and nobody blames you for it."

"Itachi–"

"I am not allowing you to get involved with him." he told her firmly, his eyes hardening and expression showing his seriousness. "Or with his organisation. You don't know what you're getting yourself into, or what you could get yourself into by pursuing him. Nag–" he cut himself off and for a split second, frustration flitted across his face before it was blank again. "He is a highly dangerous man, Sakura. One who is not to be bothered at this moment in time. He is manipulative, simple–minded and whilst he is predictable, he is just as much unpredictable, too."

It took a lot to hold back Sakura's urge to shake or hit him. Instead her fists clenched on her thighs tightly, her eyes shut and she took a deep breath. Itachi just didn't understand, did he? He clearly didn't understand what it was like having somebody's death on your conscience. He clearly didn't understand that she _had_ to speak to this man personally. Hearing the story from Itachi was one thing, but she wanted to hear it from Konan's friend. Well, maybe not _the_ story, but Sakura wanted to know about Konan, and the woman she had been. She wanted to know who had sacrificed their life for her.

"If he's so dangerous, why are you involved with him?" Sakura asked quietly, opening her eyes. The first thing she was greeted with, was the wood panelled walls of the Uchiha home, the design of it having been the same for as long as she could remember. It was so traditional, so Uchiha. Mikoto had been the one to design the home and her touch was obvious in the few ornaments and decorations that were here and there, bringing a more warmer touch to the otherwise stiff room. "_How_ did you get involved with him?

Itachi remained silent.

Drying her eyes and cheeks, she sighed. "Pein… That's the name he used, the one he had on the television. And those guys who killed Kabuto… I've seen them on the news before. Hidan and… Kakuzu?" More silence. Anger swelled within Sakura, igniting like an open flame around highly flammable products. However, she refused to snap, refused to explode. That seemed to be all she had been doing lately and it was time that it stopped. Instead of acting like a child who wasn't getting her way, instead of throwing tantrums, Sakura took a deep breath. "Please answer me, Itachi. Are you… Are you involved in the organisation that killed Kabuto? Are you involved with this 'Pein' person?"

He watched her expression carefully and could see the anger trying so very hard to explode out of her. "I am."

"And…" she swallowed hard, her tongue feeling heavy and thick. "Have you killed anyone?"

She couldn't even look at him, Itachi noted, his stomach dropping as he did. Sakura's eyes looked everywhere except for him, like she didn't even know him anymore and he was a stranger. That thought was solidified when Itachi reached out, and Sakura flinched like he was about to harm her.

He pulled his hand back to its previous resting place on his thigh. "No."

"So what do you do then?" Sakura demanded and finally met his eyes. "Are you just the clean up crew? Their bitch boy? Are you the guy who runs around with all the pathetic orders that a lowly, stupid kid could do?"

Instead of answering her question, Itachi raised an eyebrow and there was an unimpressed expression on his face. "Are you done?"

"Nowhere near."

Seeing that her anger wasn't going anywhere, he continued to watch her with the same unimpressed look. "Do you really believe that I would allow for anyone to disrespect me in such a way? To treat me, in your own words, as their 'bitch boy'? Don't insult me, Sakura."

"Then what's your part in the organisation?" Sakura yelled angrily as she stood up. "What do you do that makes them keep you around?"

"You're an intelligent girl. Think about it."

So she did. Sakura continued to glare at him as she thought it over, as she tried to think of why an organisation like that would keep Itachi around, a man who was hardly unrecognisable. He wouldn't go away easily and was problematic to say the least. Not only because Itachi was strong and was capable of defending and protecting himself, but also because of his connection to–

"Shisui." Sakura gasped, taking a step back. "They keep you around because of your connection to Shisui, therefore your connection to the police."

"Yes."

Her lower lip trembled. Who was this man? Where was the man who was supposed to be like her older brother? Her older brother wouldn't protect criminals. He wouldn't keep them from being arrested like they should be. The Itachi she knew would have done anything in his power to arrest them, to get whatever needed to make that arrest.

Something slammed into her as she made eye contact with him.

Itachi's usually blank eyes were saying something to her, telling her to realise something. She frowned inwardly, thinking back on their conversation and the connections and the reasons…

"You're working for Shisui?"

And even though his features were empty, they seemed to smooth out and it looked like a great weight had left him, for Itachi suddenly sighed. "You're an intelligent girl." he repeated his earlier words. "I'm sure I don't have to warn you that it would be dangerous of you to repeat those words to anyone? Not only for myself, but for anybody who is connected to me. Sasuke, Shisui… You. You will all be in danger should this get out before any of the Akatsuki are arrested."

Akatsuki.

She finally had a name.

"Akatsuki?" Sakura asked.

He gave her a tired smirk. "You won't find anything out about them."

"How do you know that? You've already said that I'm smart! I could just–"

"You have had members of Akatsuki right under your nose for a whole year now and you haven't suspected a thing." Itachi told her simply. When she sat beside him, frowning at him, he continued. "Not only myself, but three others – Konan included. You are under Akatsuki's protection, Sakura."

"But why?" she demanded. "_Why_ am I being protected by them?"

"Because I asked them to protect you." he answered. "After the attack in your home, the one last year that included not only Kabuto and Zaku, but also myself, Sasuke, Naruto and Gaara, I went to Akatsuki, to 'Pein'. He agreed that you needed protecting from Orochimaru. Members of the organisation agreed, thinking that it is time that Orochimaru is finally taken down."

She didn't ask any questions about how the vile man would be 'taken down'. Sakura already had a good enough idea. No, she instead thought hard about the past year. Who had entered her life in the past year? Itachi's questions and clues and words were vague, yet they were still somewhat simple to figure out. However she had met many people for the first time in the past year. Some stayed as acquaintances, others became friends. Over the past year people have come and gone, like all fleeting friendships. It was difficult thinking of who it could be.

Starting off with the people who mattered most, Sakura thought about her most recent friendships and relationships. Sai and Hinata were ruled out immediately, as one of them was too open and expressive to keep such a secret whilst the other was pretty much wrapped around Ino's finger. He couldn't keep anything from her, as hard as it was to believe. Then, her thoughts went to Gaara. Whilst not very recent, it was still a relationship that was only over a year old – although closer to two years.

Damn, why was it so hard?

Okay, other people…

Given that Akatsuki seemed like quite a shady organisation and going off of the broadcast where Kabuto was killed on live television, Sakura was guessing that they'd have to be questionable characters. Suspicious, in a way, yet not obviously so.

Was there anybody who rubbed her the wrong way? Made her gut twist?

When her features suddenly emptied, when she turned pale, Itachi knew that Sakura had found out who he was talking about.

The question wasn't who had rubbed _her_ the wrong way.

It was who had rubbed _Gaara_ the wrong way, right at the very beginning.

"Sasori." Sakura murmured, remembering all the times they had seen the other red haired man and every time they had, Gaara's mood would darken. He would instantly be suspicious. "I'm guessing… That includes Deidara?"

"For the past year, they have been watching you." he said quietly. "Keeping you out of trouble, both with Orochimaru's lackeys, and with the police." At Sakura's confusion, he raised an eyebrow. "Gaara–kun taking on two men and leaving them badly beaten and unconscious in an elevator, is assault, Sakura. Whether you want to admit that to yourself or not."

"But they were bad people!" Sakura snapped when she knew immediately who he was talking about. "They hurt Moegi and pushed her into dark decisions. Gaara was helping her–"

"Like I said. Whether you admit it to yourself or not, assault is assault."

She shook her head with annoyance. "I called Shisui immediately and he covered for us. Deidara and Sasori had nothing to do with Gaara being excused of beating the shit out of those guys."

"And yourself?" Itachi questioned smoothly. "Whilst Gaara–kun's attack was self–defence, was yours?" At her silence, he sighed. "You attacked without provocation, Sakura. Deidara confirmed that when he reported it to me."

Sakura was unable to keep back her snort. "You have people reporting to you now?"

Another unimpressed look. "You're forgetting who I am, Sakura. Yes both Deidara and Sasori report to me, not only because they are protecting you, but because it was an order. The both of them are to follow each and every one of my orders until everything has been dealt with and Orochimaru is no longer a threat." A pause. "Deidara lied in his witness statement and told the officers that one of them attempted to attack you, but Gaara–kun came to your defence."

Once more, Sakura shook her head. "Next you'll be telling me that Gaara also changed his statement–" At Itachi's expression, she cut herself off. "Gaara… He knows about them?"

"He confronted the pair of them about it on the day Ao was hit by that car."

"He… He never told me…"

"How could you expect him to, Sakura? Many things have happened since then and it most likely slipped his mind. To Gaara–kun, the most important thing to do has _always_ been to look after you – you know this. Instead of causing you unnecessary pain or distress, he kept it to himself."

"But–"

Itachi gave her a small smirk. "According to Sasori, Gaara–kun has known about the two of them being members of Akatsuki for a while."

"And you? Does he know about your part in the organisation?"

"He does now, due to Shisui telling him that information." He sighed at this and inwardly, Itachi was thinking about how troublesome it all was. His role had been much easier to act out without so many people knowing about it. "He was warned to keep quiet about it, however. It was and _is_ too risky to share such information, Sakura. Nobody can find out about me being undercover."

Slowly, after swallowing hard, Sakura nodded. Just as she opened her mouth, though, there were a couple of knocks on the front door before it opened, making her eyes widen and breathing quicken, making her heart beat almost painfully harder and faster. She clutched unknowingly at Itachi, moving closer to him.

There was no Ao here to defend her.

Gaara was at work.

It was so obvious that Itachi was worn out. Would he be able to protect her? Somebody was–

"It's okay, Sakura." Itachi murmured, easily noticing that she was panicking. "It's only Shisui."

"How can you be so sure?"

"The knocks." he replied and stood up, pulling Sakura to her feet also so that they could greet Shisui. "Shisui knocks twice – slowly – before entering. He is the only one who does so."

When they were stood up, a pale looking Shisui entered the living room. He looked like he had seen better days. Hell, Shisui looked like he was about to faint! Ill was too loose a word to use on him. This man was haggard, exhausted and seemed to just barely be staying conscious. What could have happened to make his appearance so bad? Even Itachi was stunned into silence and unable to say anything!

Shisui closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to compose himself.

"I wasn't expecting for you to be here, Sakura. I was going to come by and tell you the news after… after informing Itachi. I–"

The moment Shisui cut himself off, Itachi felt his guards raising and he took a step forward to force Shisui to sit, but the older Uchiha raised a hand to him, taking a few moments to try and get rid of the hard lump in his throat.

"I thought it would be best coming from me."

"W–What is it?" Sakura whispered. The fact that Uchiha Shisui – _Uchiha Shisui_ – was unable of controlling his emotions was making her shake ever so slightly, was making her heart pound with fear and her stomach twist warningly, telling her that she wasn't going to like whatever news he was about to tell them. "What happened?"

Itachi merely watched, feeling like he was frozen and forced to watch everything pass him by slowly. His gut instinct was telling him to get out of there, to ignore whatever Shisui was about to inform them of.

Already, his chest was aching, however.

"My men and I searched the entire area last year." Shisui murmured, his voice low and sounding thick with emotion, no matter how hard he was trying to view it all as just another case. "After your statement, Sakura, we searched the entire woods – went out day after day when it became too dark for us to see anything. They went on for miles!" he sighed. "We did not find anything. Today, however, we were called to a location only ten miles from here."

Sakura's blood ran cold.

The ache in Itachi's chest doubled.

"The call came from Uchiha Sasuke."

The pain tripled.

"We can confirm that this was one of the many hideouts belonging to Orochimaru. There is also confirmation that there _were_ in fact people inside and outside of the building when it exploded." There was a pause and during that pause, it seemed like Shisui was just barely holding it together. "Itachi…" The look he gave the younger Uchiha was heartbreaking. "There were no survivors."

The ground disappeared from beneath her and it felt like Sakura was falling for what seemed like forever before she finally collapsed onto the floor. Her entire body was shaking, her eyes wide and breathing quick.

And then she screamed. She screamed and cried and beat her fists into the ground until her voice was hoarse and her knuckles bloody, until somebody was grabbing her fists roughly and yanking her forward, holding her almost impossibly tight, making it difficult to breathe – not that Sakura would have been able to anyway. It hurt too much.

His scent reached her first, soothing her slightly but not enough to make much of a difference and suddenly, Sakura was holding onto Itachi just as tightly, shifting in her position and squeezing her eyes shut. He cradled the back of her head, his hand fisting in her hair when Sakura pressed her face into his shoulder, but she could not feel the tugging pain it should have caused.

"He's…" her voice shook.

Itachi trembled once.

"Sasuke's…" her own sob cut her off.

It felt like the world stopped when the back of her shirt grew wet, when Itachi was gritting his teeth and just managing to choke out, "Sasuke's gone, Sakura. He's dead."


	31. Shocking Revelation

**Chapter 31 – Shocking Revelation**

Sakura swallowed hard at the unease in her stomach, staring out at the darkened city from her place on the balcony. It wasn't that much darker due to all of the lights and such, but there was an obvious difference. Her fingers tapped a rhythm against her arms and her eyebrows knitted together, the breeze steadily picking up and causing her hair to sway around her face.

The shower was currently running, though the sound of it did little to soothe her. Why? Because it was not Gaara who was showering.

It was Itachi.

He'd been distant all day and kept to himself in such a way that it was terrifying. It had taken hours of Sakura crying and begging for him to stay with her, to not leave her alone. She needed him too much. And she knew, deep down, that Itachi needed her, too. They were like siblings, in a way, and even though she and Sasuke were most definitely _not_ like siblings, a bond was still there. A strong one.

Raising her phone to her ear, Sakura took a deep, shaky breath and forced herself to keep the tears at bay, to keep her voice steady.

"_You have reached Sabaku Gaara. Leave a message._"

At the sound of the beep, she sighed. "Hey, Gaara. Where are you? As soon as you get this message, please come home. There's… There's something you need to know."

She hung up, her composure slipping.

Where was her fiancé?

* * *

Ten o'clock. It was way past the time Gaara usually finished work and since the phone call, Sakura's worry and fear had doubled.

Their argument from earlier that day was not forgotten about and it hadn't even occurred to her until that moment that perhaps Gaara had finally had enough. Maybe he'd given up on her? No matter how hard Sakura tried to push away those pessimistic thoughts… She closed her eyes with a sigh. Gaara had every right to be pissed with her, to want to avoid her. She just…

She needed him so badly right at that moment in time.

By her side sat Itachi, who was merely staring off into space, retreating into his own mind. The look in his eyes was vacant, like he wasn't even seeing anything in front of him. Perhaps he wasn't. Sakura had no way of knowing. Why? Because Itachi wasn't saying anything. He focused on her, yes, but he didn't listen. It was like everything was going through one ear and out of the other, for him. Like he couldn't listen and talk even if he wanted to.

Pulling her phone out of her pocket, Sakura turned it in her hand several times, taking a deep breath before swiftly unlocking it and going to her recent calls, immediately pressing Gaara's name.

Voicemail. Again.

It wasn't even ringing.

Another deep breath as the beep sounded.

"Gaara, it's me again. I'm really worried about you and I'm beginning to freak out a little right now. Where are you?"

She ended the call before the last word fully left her lips, bringing her hand up to her mouth to cover it, to stifle the sob. So much was happening all at once that she couldn't even keep up with it. Everything was falling apart. First the attacks, then the baby, then…

"I still…" Sakura whispered, breathing shakily. "I still can't believe that h–he's gone."

Itachi blinked before his eyes slowly slid to hers. He said nothing.

"Sasuke… He…" Tears slipped down her cheeks. "He's supposed to always be there. He's… He's my best friend."

No reply.

"I don't understand." she sobbed loudly, unable to stop herself. In an instant, Ao was standing off his bed and slowly making his way over to her, ignoring all previous rules as he climbed onto the sofa, laying down beside his owner and resting his large head on her lap. "_Why_? Why would Sasuke go… go to _him_?"

"…To protect you."

These being the first words spoken by Itachi in hours, Sakura's eyes immediately snapped to his, widening as she watched him. He still seemed distant, still seemed unapproachable, but those three words proved that Itachi was in fact listening. Everything was registering in his mind, he just had very little energy left to respond properly, if at all. It hurt that he dismissed her like that, but Sakura could understand. Well, to an extent she could.

She shook her head, face scrunching up with pain. "He didn't protect me, Itachi. Him… Sasuke not being here anymore…" It was furiously that she wiped at her eyes, but the attempt to wipe away her tears was useless, for they kept falling. "That's not protecting me. That's _hurting_ me!"

The hand that grabbed hers was cold, as were the fingers that entwined with hers. Itachi didn't reply to her. Instead he merely held her hand and went back to staring out of the large floor to ceiling window, staring out at the night life, or what little he could see of it due to being so high up.

Honestly, Sakura didn't know how much more she could take.

In the back of her mind she knew that another push, no matter how small, would most likely kill her.

* * *

The tea on the coffee table went ignored. The television went ignored.

All Itachi could do was stare vacantly at the screen. All Ao did was occasionally whine, sensing his owner's distress and nudging her with his nose. All Sakura could do was hold onto her phone, desperately waiting for Gaara to call her back.

After a day like today, after everything that had happened recently, Sakura's mind was already preparing itself for more bad news. How was it preparing itself? Well, Sakura could already feel herself distancing, if that even made any sense. No she could never tell when her mind was detaching itself – not fully at least – and it hadn't happened in years apart from that one time at her parents' funeral. However, right at that moment in time, it felt like she was on autopilot, or in the beginnings of going into autopilot.

It all felt so surreal.

Of course Gaara wouldn't know about Sasuke and because of this, her mind and heart were both preparing her for those two words that were probably going to hit her.

_It's over_.

And if those words were said, then… Sakura closed her eyes. She would have to accept it, wouldn't she? Already, Sakura knew she had put Gaara through so much. He had had to put up with her bullshit for so long now. Detaching her mind, battling every single day with her bipolar disorder, her jealousy, the ugly, impulsiveness that reared its unwanted head up at the worst of times. They were just a few from a seemingly never ending list.

He was a surprisingly patient man, was Gaara. However, it was said that even Buddha had his limits.

After giving them both the news of Sasuke's death, Shisui had had to go back to the station, as he was still needed there and was still on duty. He'd told them that he would personally help with the investigation at Orochimaru's hideout.

Not for the first time, Sakura wished that it would just hurry up and be over with. What did she have to do to make it all stop? This… This horrible curse that had been cast upon her at some point in her life… When was it ever going to end? Why couldn't whoever was listening just have mercy on her, just _this one time_?

Because life was never that simple. Somehow, it always found a way to fuck you over.

And it pained her that Sakura was adjusting to the way life worked for her. It sickened her that instead of being happy when she made a new friend, she instead wondered if they were going to be the next who died. It made her so angry when she argued with somebody because that could be the last conversation they ever had, meaning that things would end on bad terms!

So, Sakura lived by the terms of only living once, of being kind to others and treating people the way you want to be treated. She fed stray animals and took them to shelters. She donated to those shelters. When she saw homeless people, she treated them to meals at all–you–can–eat buffets and also bought them new clothes and anything else they'd need to stay warm out on the streets. Hell, if possible, Sakura paid for them to stay in buildings that were created for homeless people and donated to those _too_! She donated blood, and would donate organs too, if needed. In fact she had one of those donor cards, one that would allow (once she was deceased) for her organs to be taken out of her body and transplanted to others, so that they could live.

_Fuck!_ She was a good fucking person. Why the hell was all this shit happening to her?

Her parents shouldn't be dead.

Ao should have never been hit by that car.

Sasuke, especially after all the pain she had caused him, should not be dead.

Sakura wanted to go back in time, back to the mistake she so clearly made and stop herself from making it. She wanted to right whatever she did wrong, therefore lifting this vile, unrelenting curse from herself.

But… She knew that it wasn't possible.

Deep down, Sakura knew that she wasn't cursed, that she didn't have bad karma. All of these shitty things that had been happening… They were all either done, or ordered by, a psychotic man who wanted her dead. He would stop at nothing to have her killed. And as Sakura's hand brushed against her stomach, a hard lump raised in her throat.

He really would stop at nothing to see her dead.

Innocent people were being caught up in this stupid… Whatever the hell it was. Innocent people were dying because of Orochimaru's rage, because of Kabuto's fixation. Sakura had so foolishly believed that, after Yakushi Kabuto had died, Orochimaru would call it quits. He would be done with her.

How wrong she was.

Not liking where her thoughts were going, as Sakura could feel herself growing angrier by the second, she once again unlocked her phone and pressed Gaara's name.

Once again, it didn't even ring.

She shook with anger.

"If you don't come home soon, I swear I'm going to kick your ass as soon as you step through that door! _Cha_!"

Ending the call, Sakura clenched her fists, wanting nothing more than to throw her phone straight out of the window, regardless of the fact they didn't even open. Part of her wanted to throw herself out of the windows.

"Try his siblings."

The voice was slow with exhaustion and it made Sakura frown, her anger dissipating as guilt took over. How could she sit there and fret over where Gaara was, when Itachi had literally _just_ lost his little brother? It wasn't that Sakura wasn't sad about the fact, because she was utterly devastated. It was the fact that Gaara wasn't home when she needed him to take control for her, to help her. She just… She just wanted to know that he was safe.

Since his words were not a question, Sakura nodded once and once more unlocked her phone, calling the Sabaku home line. It rang a few times, but eventually, just as she was about to hang up and try their mobiles, somebody answered.

"_Sabaku Temari speaking_."

She sounded distracted, like her mind was somewhere else. Sakura bit her lip. "Hey, Temari. Is… Is Gaara there?"

There was a pause and when she next spoke, Temari sounded more focused, though her words were spoken slowly. "_No. He left the office hours ago, much earlier than usual, too. I thought he was going home for the day, so said nothing_."

Sakura's heart began to pound harshly in her chest. "He's not home and I haven't seen him since this morning. What time did he leave his office, would you say?"

"_Around three, I think._" When nothing was said in reply, Temari continued. "_Don't worry so much, Sakura. I'm sure Gaara has a perfectly good explanation–_"

"We were arguing this morning." she whispered brokenly, a tear slipping down her cheek. "We… I…" Shaking her head, Sakura swallowed hard. "Please call me if you hear anything from him. Even when we argue, Gaara never stays out late."

"_Of course_." the blonde told her. "_And I want you to ring me when he eventually shows up, or if you just need somebody to talk to._" A pause. "_Want me to come over and wait with you?_"

Sakura shook her head even though Temari couldn't see her. "No, thanks. Itachi's here and just… I need to go." Her voice wavered. "Just… If you hear from him, tell him I'm really sorry about this morning."

With that, she hung up, staring down at her phone's wallpaper with building dread and fear.

It was a picture of her and Gaara, one she had taken one morning when he had just woken up. They both looked tired, but there was a playful glint in Sakura's eyes and whilst Gaara was in the process of running a hand through his messy red hair, there was a tired smirk on his lips, glancing up at the camera. Sakura could recall that moment perfectly. Mere seconds after the picture had been taken, he had pounced, grabbing her phone and placing it onto the bedside table before making love to her.

"Where the hell are you, Gaara?"

* * *

She woke up to the sound of somebody knocking firmly on her front door, to the sound of Ao growling and barking warningly in response to the insistent knocking.

And for a moment, everything was okay. There had been no deaths, there had been no attacks. It was just her, Gaara and Ao, spending a morning together on the sofa after falling asleep to either her favourite program, or one of the movies he enjoyed watching.

A second later and that dream shattered.

All Sakura could do was stare ahead of herself, listening as Itachi got up and made his way over to the front door, demanding quietly that Ao backed down. The dog did so without complaint and instead moved closer to Sakura, who sat up in quiet surprise. She was surprised because Itachi was up and moving around. He was answering her front door. From what little she saw of him, however, he still looked exhausted.

"_Itachi…_" A deep voice muttered. "_I wasn't expecting to see you here_."

There was no reply. All that Sakura heard was the front door shutting and for a second or two, she thought that he had shut the door in the guest's face, but that wasn't the case as two men suddenly appeared from around the corner and Ao relaxed by her side as he recognised their guest.

"My colleague told me that you have yet to examine his body."

Whilst his voice was blank, Shisui's eyes were torn and tight. He was trying so very hard to stay composed, to stay professional, despite how personal the loss was to him. What needed to be done now, was that he had to get to the bottom of everything that had happened. He had to make sure Orochimaru died in that explosion. He had to know that Sasuke's death hadn't been in vain.

Itachi sat down beside Sakura. "Later."

Shisui felt sick to his stomach as he sat down opposite Sakura and Itachi, the latter who had yet to go and identify his younger brother's body. He didn't push him. The only reason why Shisui couldn't do so himself was because it was too personal to him and he was on duty. Had he not been, and had Itachi not been up to it, it would have fallen to himself, as he would be next in kin.

"Please tell me the make and model of Sabaku Gaara's car."

His voice was flat, professional, making Sakura frown and Itachi's already empty features, empty further. "I don't know why you want to know such a thing…" She shook her head, slowly petting Ao's large head as he rested it against her knee. "Gaara drives the car he's always driven – a Chevy Impala. The sixty–seven model, I think. It was his mother's car and his siblings wanted him to have it the moment he passed his test. He's had it for years now."

Unease curled tightly in her stomach at the look on Shisui's face. "Early this morning, whilst visiting Orochimaru's hideout that was destroyed just yesterday–"

"No."

The professionalism in his features cracked. This was… It was too much. Already he had told his cousin, his best friend, that his little brother was gone, that he had died. Not only that, but Sakura's best friend and former–lover. Now, he was breaking the news that… that…

"I'm sorry to inform you that Sabaku Gaara's car is currently at the location of Orochimaru's hideout. It was caught in the explosion."

* * *

The world was currently nothing but noise to Sakura. She couldn't speak, she couldn't listen, she couldn't move. Everything just felt cold and surreal.

Gaara was dead.

It hadn't been confirmed yet, as they had yet to find his body, but Shisui had told Itachi that that could be because he was inside the building at the time, wanting to find or help Sasuke. But why would Gaara help Sasuke? Yes, if it protected Sakura from feeling any agonising pain, he would help him without a second thought, but to go up against Orochimaru side–by–side with Sasuke? It just didn't make any sense.

Not to mention…

Sakura took a deep breath and pressed a hand to her heart. It was like she could _feel_ him, as crazy and cliché as that sounded. Yesterday, that awful feeling that had washed over her had been warning her of an incoming danger, of something bad happening. She had brushed it off and when the news of Sasuke being dead reached her, she thought it was because of that.

He had promised her that she'd never be alone, that he'd always be there and they'd get through not only their problems, but also hers. They would get through it all together.

"Sakura?"

He had lied to her.

Gaara had lied to her.

Pressing a hand to her mouth, Sakura tried her hardest to swallow the thick bile making its way tortuously up her throat, determined on strangling her in the process. It wasn't working. And when she realised that, she quickly shot up off the sofa, rushing towards the bathroom with Ao right behind her, whining and whimpering as he watched his owner throw up into the toilet.

Whenever she had been sick previously, Gaara had always been there to rub her back soothingly, to hold her hair back or to pass water over to her. Now there was no one. Itachi was still seated in the living room, still lost in his own pain, while Shisui knew he would be overstepping boundaries by taking Gaara's place at comforting her.

All she had left… was Ao.

Gaara was gone.

A heartbreaking sob clawed out of her, her hands gripping the toilet seat tightly as her teeth gritted together. Ao began howling in response, shifting restlessly in his position by the door as he did. It was like he knew, too, which made it even more painful. Sakura squeezed her eyes shut, willing the agonising ache in her chest to disappear. It wouldn't. It felt as though it was consuming her.

She wasn't sure what had happened, because the next thing Sakura was aware of, was that two figures were hovering over her and she was laying on the cold, tile flooring of the bathroom. Had she passed out?

"Sakura…"

Temari.

Tears slipped down the sides of her face, increasing as a single tear dripped from the blonde's face and splattered onto hers. Kankuro seemed just as distressed, but he was holding it all in, he was focusing entirely on the two women.

Without a word, Kankuro sat Sakura up, his hand lingering on her back when he felt she hadn't even enough energy to sit herself up.

"Help me take her into the living room, Kankuro." Temari murmured, her throat feeling impossibly tight.

Again, without a word, Kankuro got to it. He shifted Sakura's arm over his shoulder, Temari doing the same with the other, before they were guiding her into the living room. She tried to take steps by herself, but her legs were like jelly and it felt like everything inside of her had been left in that bathroom. Her stomach, her energy, her heart…

They placed her down onto the sofa and it was only then that Sakura noticed both Shisui and Itachi were no longer around, and Ao was laying down on his bed, unmoving. He was breathing and his eyes were on her, but it was like Ao was just as exhausted as she was.

She closed her eyes and leaned back into the sofa, Temari and Kankuro sitting on each side of her.

"Itachi…"

When Temari couldn't say any more, Kankuro spoke up for the first time. His voice was low and rough, heavy with the emotion he was fiercely holding back for the two of them. "He's gone to identify Sasuke's body. Shisui went back to the… location…"

His voice trailed off, an angry scowl on his face.

"We… We had an… an argument." Sakura whispered brokenly. "Before he left. We had an argument and…"

"Don't worry about that." Temari's voice was just as quiet, was also just a whisper. "I'm sure that whatever it was–"

"It was a–about the baby." she cried, all walls she had ever placed around herself completely shattering. It was like Sakura couldn't hold anything back and whilst she knew she would later regret telling Gaara's siblings such information, she couldn't _not_ tell them, because she desperately needed to talk to somebody before her thoughts got too carried away. "It was… about… about _our_ baby."

Their eyes immediately snapped to hers, widening. "You're…"

She shook her head angrily, a sob escaping her no matter how badly she tried to hold it back. "…Not anymore. I… We lost it…"

The attack.

Temari was yanking Sakura against her not even a second after her sentence trailed off, holding her tightly while they both cried.

* * *

He had to do something like this when his parents died, had had to identify them. But even back then, Itachi had not experienced this nauseating fear that was gripping at his stomach and whilst the ache in his chest had hurt, it was not as agonising as it was right at that moment in time as they entered the cold room. Sasuke. His brother. All that went through Itachi's mind was that, under that sheet, was the young man he cared for more than his own life. If he could, he would swap their positions in a heartbeat.

That was his little brother. The one who had always come to him with problems, had always opened up to him, whether it was because of his emotions exploding out of him, or because he genuinely thought Itachi could help him. The ache in his chest grew. The promise he had silently made to their parents seemed like a lie. He could not protect Sasuke and in the end, this was where it led him.

He was now about to identify his little brother's body in a cold, cold room.

_His little brother._

"Are you ready, Uchiha–sama?"

_Just get it over with. Please don't draw this out._

He nodded once.

Itachi's stomach was twisting violently as the doctor grabbed the sheet, slowly pulling it back and once the upper half of the body was revealed, for the second time in only a couple of days, he felt like something had knocked his world upside down.

"That is not Sasuke."

* * *

**A/N - Oh wow I don't think any of you liked last chapter, which is why I've posted this one today instead of next week.**

**Give me more credit than that, jeez. I'm not saying he's alive or that he's dead. You're going to have to read the next couple of chapters to find out. I can't believe I had a guest account reviewing the chapter, calling me a heartless, soulless bitch!**

**Like, I get it. Sakura has it unbelievably tough in this story, but it seems most of you don't understand just how shitty and unfair life can actually be. For some people, their lives could be so much like Sakura's. You can't forget that she had a deranged scientist obsessing over her, and he happened to be a psychotic, extremely powerful man's righthand man. It's kind of obvious that Orochimaru would want to avenge Kabuto's death. In this story, I've made Kabuto the only person Orochimaru trusts, so...**

**Yeah. I'm sorry that some of you don't want to read my story anymore because of how 'bullshit' it is and how unfair I'm being on Sakura. All I can say is thanks for sticking around for this long and it's a shame you can't hold out just four more chapters, since I plan on ending this on chapter 35. Actually, it is ending on that chapter, because I'm in the middle of writing it now.**

**So, what do you all think is going on? Where's Sasuke? Where's Gaara?**


	32. What Really Happened?

**Chapter 32 – What Really Happened?**

He felt cold.

He felt sick.

He felt angry.

He felt livid.

He felt _absolutely murderous_.

It took a lot to hide these feelings from others. It took a lot more than it usually would for him to remain blank, for him to present himself as the genius he was supposed to be. Everything he had ever worked for, everything his brother had ever worked for and everything his father had ever worked for, could be gone, could be shattered, in just a second and it killed him a little on the inside admitting such a thing.

But what could he do? Allow for the woman he had grown up with to be hurt once more?

That couldn't happen.

It wasn't that he was disappointed with the work being done by the police, because he knew how hard Shisui worked on trying to keep Sakura safe. Sadly, it just wasn't enough. Instead of trying to build more evidence, they should be using brute force. They should be smashing their way through leads instead of sneaking.

Standing in an elevator, his fists clenched tightly.

The problem with the police was that they weren't thinking outside of the box. They weren't considering the fact that Orochimaru could be right under their noses. Like a snake, the man was sly, he was sneaky and he was hard to find in the tall grass right in front of them. However, where would be the best place to hide, should he be about to attack?

As close to his victim as possible.

And just where had people always tried to avoid?

The woods opposite the Haruno home.

That was close to his victim. It was the least likely place anybody would go looking for Orochimaru, what with it being so close. Those woods also went on for miles and miles, putting at least eight to ten miles between the homes and the highway, whilst going on for at least twenty miles sideways. Basically, they would take way too long to search through thoroughly. Not only that, but should Orochimaru _know_ that the police were searching for him, he would easily be able to hide in one part of the woods, before moving onto the next. Always a step ahead of them. Always just out of their reach.

The elevator gave a beep before the metal doors were sweeping open, greeting him with a large, open area. It was luxurious, but at the same time, bare. The kind of room that, should there be too many decorations, too much furniture, then it would all be overwhelming.

At that moment in time, the secretary desk was empty, although that didn't surprise him too much. Given all the trouble that had gone down with that particular secretary, it wasn't too hard to figure out why it was taking him so long to find a new one.

He strode forward with purpose, looking as arrogant and as confident as he always did, before knocking twice on the door and entering without waiting for permission.

"I–" The man sat behind the large desk cut himself off, icy blue eyes threatening to widen a fraction. "Uchiha. What do you want?"

Shutting the door behind himself, he muttered, "Just to talk."

"You want to 'just talk'."

He didn't reply. Instead he walked to the front of the desk, though like the couple of other times he had visited, he stayed standing and ignored not only the two comfortable looking chairs in front of the redhead's desk, but also the sofa going along one wall of the room.

The other man sighed, sitting back in his seat. "What do you want, Sasuke? I don't have time to–"

"I told you already." Sasuke muttered in reply, pushing his hands inside of his pockets. "I want to talk."

"About?"

"I think we both know already who I want to talk about, Gaara."

Gaara's eyes narrowed a fraction, but other than that, everything else about him was closed off, guarded. "Sakura is recovering."

"Actually recovering this time, or is this just another–"

"Do not antagonise me, Uchiha. Sakura is recovering and that is all I will say on the matter."

This time, it was Sasuke's eyes that narrowed. He couldn't figure out what Gaara was feeling or thinking due to how emotionless he seemed. No, not emotionless. More like guarded.

There was silence for a moment.

Sasuke breathed deeply, allowing his eyes to close for a few seconds as he did so. When they opened again, he saw Gaara watching him, saw the redhead was losing his patience. "Sakura… She's going to be okay." Something flashed in those icy blue eyes, but Sasuke ignored it. "Orochimaru isn't going to bother her again."

"How can you be so sure?" Gaara murmured, voice sounding deadly.

"He contacted me again."

Rage flashed over Gaara's features, pure, murderous rage, before that blank mask returned. "What did he ask for this time?"

A pause. "…Me."

The redhead scoffed, reaching forward and searching through the papers on his desk. Clearly he was losing interest in the conversation and it annoyed Sasuke so much. "The same as the last few times he contacted you, then. This is hardly breaking news, Uchiha, and it's hardly worth my time thinking about." Icy blue eyes narrowed on a certain piece of paper, before that page was set aside and he picked up the next one. "If you can't see already: I'm busy."

"Gaara…"

It was with a sigh of annoyance that the redhead placed down the contracts in his hands. "What–"

"Be there for her." he muttered, his eyebrows knitting together. "No matter what. Just…"

Gaara's eyes narrowed and it was obvious this time that he was feeling uneasy. "What are you planning, Sasuke?"

The Uchiha was silent for a moment as he stared out of the window, seeming to be in a world of his own until he finally sighed and looked back at him. "Something that should have been done a long time ago. I just want you to promise me one thing."

It suddenly hit Gaara. There was the look Sakura had once told him about. The wounded, lost look in Sasuke's eyes. He seemed almost childlike and despite the two of them never getting on, Gaara could not find it in himself to mock the other man. He couldn't say a single thing. All Gaara could do was nod.

"Take care of Sakura, Gaara. And… Make sure Itachi…"

"Don't do anything reckless, Sasuke." Gaara frowned, standing from his seat but the moment he did, Sasuke was taking a step back. "You mean a lot to Sakura, but even more to your brother. Do not do anything that will cause them great pain. Don't take that offer!"

Stunning Gaara completely, Sasuke smirked softly, though it appeared as more of a smile, before leaving.

* * *

All he had wanted, was to go to work, was to get out of his shrinking apartment for just one day. So, he did, and now look at what was happening. He had Uchiha Sasuke visiting him, making absolutely no sense, before leaving him in a horrible predicament.

Growling to himself, Gaara left the elevator and stepped out in to the underground garage, making his way over to his car.

"You're going to want to catch up with that kid."

His head snapped up, eyes narrowing on the figure leaning against the wall. How was it Gaara hadn't even noticed the blond until _after_ he spoke up? Why the hell was he always lurking around? "You know where Uchiha Sasuke is, or going, Deidara?"

"Of course I do." Deidara scoffed, although there was a dark humour in his eyes. "I'm the one who supplied him with the explosives, yeah."

The redhead's stomach flipped horribly as the word seemed to echo. "Explosives?"

"You know, those things that make other things go _boom_!" the blond smirked. "He was looking into weapons and things that could bring down an entire building." he shrugged carelessly. "So I decided to give him my advice and he took it, yeah."

That horrible predicament just got a hundred times worse.

He took a deep breath, willing his heart to stop pounding away in his chest. "Where is he going?"

* * *

So this was Orochimaru's hideout.

It looked like a medium sized, run down building and Sasuke knew immediately what building it had once been before they ran out of business. It used to be an orphanage. Creepy place to have it, yes, but he could still remember the old stories his mother had once told him.

Back then, orphans were seen as outcasts. Sasuke wasn't talking about the recent years, he meant decades ago. Orphans were presumed to be delinquents so were boxed away into the woods, away from the public in case they attempted to start causing trouble. Didn't stop them, though. If the stories were correct, then they merely walked for miles to go into town and simply caused trouble there. It was the reason why the home was shut down. What was the point in keeping it when it was doing no good?

He'd never seen the house before but now that he had, Sasuke couldn't even deny that it sent a cold shiver down his spine, one that he hid well.

With three floors it easily towered over him but due to the opening of the woods, the one that allowed cars to pass through this particular part of it and due to this average sized clearing it was situated in, the sun shone down on the building, making it appear less creepy. The road wasn't a real one. It was dirt road, one that had been used many times as a shortcut between the highway and the homes on the other side of the woods. Now that the highway had been closed off, however, there was no more shortcut. To reach this building in your car, you would have to use the only opening that was left alone and open – the one three miles away from his house.

After tightening his black trench coat around himself, Sasuke made his way into the building, hands shoved in his pockets. Everything should already be set up for his meeting with Orochimaru and hopefully, that blond idiot hadn't been messing him around. Sasuke was relying on those things more than that guy even knew.

"You–"

He didn't even stop in his walk as he entered the building, didn't even look at the guy who was watching him with wide eyes. Remaining confident, arrogant and oozing waves of authority and power, Sasuke muttered, "Take me to Orochimaru."

"Y–Yes, sir. Right this way!"

The inside of the building was just as creepy as the outside, if not more so. It was dark with no lights, the power obviously having been cut off long ago – if they'd even had any in the first place. Everything was old and traditional, and the smell of damp was so strong he could taste it. The wooden flooring creaked beneath his feet and discreetly, Sasuke took in his surroundings. So far, he'd spotted seventeen of Orochimaru's lackeys. There was no way of knowing how many there actually were, but hopefully, the most loyal ones were in this building.

The young man who was guiding him to Orochimaru suddenly stopped, knocking on a specific door. "Orochimaru–sama, you have a visitor."

A pause.

"_Uchiha Sasuke_." a cackle reached his ears, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. "_Come in._"

* * *

Gritting his teeth, Gaara pressed down on the accelerator of his car, hoping it could handle the rough treatment as he tore down the familiar road, eyes sticking to the edge of the woods for the opening Deidara had been talking about.

"_It's before you reach Uchiha Itachi and Sasuke's house, yeah._" Deidara had huffed in response to Gaara's anger (having been slammed and roughly pinned to the wall for not answering quickly enough), muttering that the man had no sense of humour. "_Nowhere near Sakura's parents home, though, so you need to come in a different way if you want to avoid her._"

"_Avoid her_?" Gaara had questioned, eyes narrowing. "_Why is Sakura at her parents' home?"_

"_She's not._" the blond had shrugged in response. "_She's with Itachi and they went back to his place._"

So now not only was Gaara trying to find the opening to the damned, evil woods, but he was also hoping to avoid Sakura and Itachi. Should they be leaving his place, they would be heading in his direction so that they'd be avoiding Kazashi and Mebuki's home. If they suddenly appeared now, however, there was no avoiding them. Not unless he–

Found it!

The tyres of his car dug into the road, the whole of his car jumping at the change in road as he turned into the opening. It was jagged and rough and definitely not car friendly.

He grit his teeth once more, reluctantly slowing in his driving as he followed the single, small dirt road.

* * *

"Well, well, Sasuke–kun. It seems you have finally come to your senses and joined me."

He didn't reply, instead choosing silence. Not because he had no comeback, but because Sasuke refused to humour the vile bastard before him.

The room was a fair size and seemed to have always been an office, what with the design of it as well as the furniture. Thick layers of dust coated almost everything. The smell of damp was just as strong in this room as it was the rest of the home, as well as the lack of light, but it didn't seem to effect Orochimaru in the least.

Said man stood with a slight slouch, his long, thick black hair falling into his pale face, into his golden eyes. Those eyes sickened Sasuke, they made him feel sick to his stomach. It was as though they could see right through him, could see all of his weaknesses.

Honestly, Sasuke had been expecting something more – appearance–wise, of course. This man, whilst his aura and appearance were both startling and could no doubt be intimidating when needed to be, was… Well, he wasn't much, in Sasuke's eyes. He could see why the guy scared Sakura, however.

He'd seen Orochimaru only once before and that was from CCTV footage of the company building. Itachi had been showing him the footage, showing him who to look out for and whatnot. Other than that, however, Sasuke had never met or spoken with Orochimaru in person. Over the phone, yes, but other than that, it had always been Orochimaru's lackeys who approached him with those ridiculous offers.

"So stoic." Orochimaru's golden eyes narrowed, though the cold amusement remained. "So very like your father. However, like your father, I can read you just as easily. You have no intention of joining me."

The stiffening of Sasuke's body was all the snake–like man needed to pounce.

"I remember Fugaku well, Sasuke–kun." he hissed nastily. "I remember Mikoto well, also."

A deep rage flashed within him. "Shut up."

A smirk pulled at those stiff, pale lips. "She was a beautiful woman, wasn't she? Always so immaculate and traditional, so uptight and well–spoken. If it weren't for the proof of you and your brother's existence, I would have believe her to be a virgin, what with the way she held herself and the way she treated all men."

His stomach churned. "Sh–"

"Your father must not have been much of a man for his wife to act like that." Orochimaru cut the young Uchiha off, relishing in the pain he could see so clearly in those dark eyes. His abnormally long, disgusting tongue slipped out between his smirking lips, licking at them. "So reserved, so dispassionate. She was like a saint compared to the company she kept." A pause. Another cold smirk. "Do you want to know something, Sasuke–kun?"

Dread tickled his spine with a horrible shiver.

Orochimaru's eyes narrowed once more, the gold colour of them darkening, as the man leaned forward ever so slightly, voice dropping to a whisper to add dramatic effect. "I was the one who killed them in that car _accident_."

* * *

Was this it?

Gaara narrowed his eyes, car crawling to a stop in front of an old looking building.

It had taken him over an hour to find it and now, he wasn't even sure if he had the right place. There was no power in the building and it honestly looked as though there was nobody inside, looked like it would be dangerous just to step inside that building. It looked close to crumbling to the ground.

The door to the building opened and two people stepped out, talking fairly loudly. Clearly they didn't worry about being found or watched or anything of the sort. Was Orochimaru hiring children now after Kabuto's death? Was he not teaching them anything about stealth or whatever? The workers seemed like nothing too impressive. Both average height, one looking underfed while the other looked a little overfed. Both had dark hair but from this distance, he couldn't see any eye colours. If Gaara was to guess, he'd say that they were dark, although that could have been due to the lighting.

How the hell hadn't they spotted him? His engine was hardly silent and whilst it sounded like a purr, it was a rather loud purr. Not only that, but his hair was blood red and his eyes icy blue. No he hadn't left the car yet but they were still bright colours, still obnoxious colours that demanded all attention.

How–

He didn't see the person running straight for the car until it was too late, until a fist was smashing through the window and hitting him.

* * *

"_Why_?" Sasuke snarled as his face was pressed down to the floor, a cold, bare foot standing on his neck and keeping him pinned. It had been so easily that the man pinned him after Sasuke had lunged for him in a moment of blind rage. "_Why my parents_? What did they do to deserve _death_?"

A sigh reached his ears. "What did they do?" Orochimaru repeated. "Your father was the leader of not only his company, but ran a decent amount of the police force. It's not commonly known as the 'Uchiha Police Force' for nothing, Sasuke–kun, but I'm sure you know that already." The foot on the Uchiha's neck pressed down harder and Sasuke squeezed his eyes shut, shifting to try and find a way to break the hold. "I killed them because of this. Fugaku knew too much and was on his way to finding out more, thanks to the previous leader of Sabaku Corporation. Your mother…" Orochimaru smirked evilly. "She was collateral damage."

Sasuke snarled, his body shaking with rage. "You…" he swallowed hard. "You killed not only my parents, but Sabaku Gaara's father, too?"

The older man laughed loudly in response, his body shaking with his insane laughter. "Father? That man was no father. There wasn't a paternal bone in his body. I did those three brats a favour by freeing them of that man. I gave them peace. Safety."

What? Dark eyes narrowed and finally, after struggling for what felt like an eternity, he managed to reach into his trench coat, into one of the inside pockets. Gripping the knife tightly in his hand, he whipped it out of his jacket and blindly sliced behind him, glad when he heard a hiss of pain.

The second the foot on his neck let up ever so slightly, Sasuke took a risk and spun around, the knife in his hand once more lashing between them and slashing up the snake–like man's legs, earning another hiss of pain. It was with great pleasure that Sasuke watched him limp backwards and away from him, putting space between them and taking advantage of that moment, he leapt to his feet, falling into a fighting stance.

He refused to be taken off guard again.

No matter what bullshit that monster spewed, he would not be taken off guard again!

It was with that thought that he lunged forward once more, starting the vicious battle.

* * *

Pain exploded from the side of his face, but Gaara was quick to grab the fist, yanking the hand further into the car, slamming his attacker's face into the door and whatever was left of the window. He repeated the action several times until he knew for certain the other man was dazed, before opening the door and kicking at it, causing it to smash into the man's face.

The second he was out of the car, the two standing just outside the building charged towards him, their plan clearly failing.

"Who the hell are you?"

Gaara's eyes narrowed on the others and now that they were closer, he could finally see their eye colours. Like he had thought, both were dark. They seemed to be related. "Tell me where Orochimaru is."

"Orochimaru–sama is busy right now." the younger looking male growled, clenching his fists tightly. "Leave before we make you!"

Again, like he had thought earlier: amateurs. That was no way to hold yourself when you're about to attack someone. Every inch of their bodies was left open and unguarded. Fools.

Without a second thought, Gaara was lashing out and not even a second later, he was slamming the two heads together with a sickening crunch before the men fell to the ground.

"Pathetic." the redhead growled, finally shutting his car door firmly. It aggravated him that he would now have to get it fixed.

* * *

Grabbing the knife that had been knocked away, Sasuke gripped it tightly and straddled Orochimaru, a vicious snarl on his face and curling his upper lip as he repeatedly slammed it down into the snake–like man's chest.

_Don't stop._

_Don't stop._

_Don't stop!_

That was all that went through his mind as he continued the assault, never letting up for even a moment. If he stopped, Orochimaru would find a way to get out of there. Even when the older man stilled beneath him, even when his chest stopped rising and falling, even when his disgusting golden eyes stared sightlessly up at the ceiling, Sasuke did not stop. He couldn't feel the blood coating him thickly, couldn't feel the stomach churning sensation of repeatedly stabbing Orochimaru. He could not feel anything.

He had to make sure it was safe for her.

And then it seemed like everything was in slow motion as the explosives finally went off, as Sasuke was flung across the room like a rag doll and slammed into the wall. The air was beaten out of him, the room around him was shaking dangerously. He didn't care. Why? Because part of the ceiling had just crushed what was left of Orochimaru. There wasn't a chance of the bastard getting back up.

For her.

Sasuke smiled to himself as the flames accompanying the explosion finally reached him.

He hadn't been able to protect her back then. He hadn't been able to look after her. By doing this, Sasuke knew for a fact that Orochimaru would never be coming back for her. And if he had to give his life in order to kill Orochimaru? Then so be it.

This was for her. So she could finally live the life of peace she so very much deserved.

_Sakura_.

* * *

It _terrified_ Gaara when the building suddenly exploded in certain places, when fire erupted from within. From what little he could hear over the high pitched ringing sound, people were screaming in agonising pain. They were crying out for somebody to help them.

For a moment, he was frozen in his fallen position, having been blown backwards by the force of the explosion.

But then determination shot through him as he realised Sasuke was most likely still in there.

"Uchiha…" the redhead growled angrily, stumbling to his feet.

If that explosion hadn't killed him, Gaara would make sure he did it his fucking self.

Glancing over the burning building that had once been an orphanage, he took a deep breath and darted straight for the opened door, slipping inside easily, though quickly leaping backwards as a large beam collapsed from the ceiling, crushing the already dead person who was laying there.

Gaara tried his best not to focus on that and instead cautiously made his way down the long hall, surprised that the building was larger on the inside than it appeared on the outside. Shuffling his hand into his sleeve, he pressed it over his mouth and nose, the thick smoke already making his throat burn and his eyes water. The heat was unbearable and from what he could tell, there was no fire around him.

More screaming.

"_Save him! Somebody save Sasuke!_"

He stiffened, to the point where Gaara was inwardly screaming at himself that he was going to die if he didn't move soon.

He knew that voice.

_He knew that fucking voice._

It was without another thought that he ran through the building, ran up the stairs and followed the screaming voice.

The sight that greeted him made him so very angry.

"Uzumaki Karin."

She whirled around, ruby eyes wide with horror, but she didn't allow the fear for herself to keep her distracted and instead gestured to the door. "Sasuke's inside! He was fighting with Orochimaru–sama before the explosions went off. You…" she shook her head, unevenly cut red hair whipping around her face. "You _have_ to help him!"

There were so many questions that needed to be asked, so many questions that needed to be answered. For starters: how the hell did she get out of prison? Why was she here? Was she still loyal to Orochimaru?

"Gaara!"

He slammed his entire body into the unmoving door.

Right now wasn't the time to be asking questions.

* * *

"Fucking idiot!" a dark voice grunted as his body was dragged from the burning building.

Everything was so very disorientating. His left eardrum was burst and he could feel blood running down the side of his face as well as dirt and who knows what else. Also, the left side of his body was in agony, that agony only increasing as the insistent person continued to drag him across the hard dirt. The man was panting, was letting out chesty coughs that had a part of him inwardly wincing. Even though he couldn't hear a thing out of his left ear other than a high pitched ringing, hearing the sounds of the other man's breathing worried him for some reason.

"What the hell…" the man gasped as he finally collapsed onto the ground, trembling ever so slightly as the adrenaline slowly began to fade away, "were you playing… at?"

"I…"

It suddenly hit him. Where he was. Who was sitting next to him. _Who had just saved his life_. It was none other than Sabaku Gaara. Somehow, the redhead had followed him without Sasuke knowing and even though he had every reason to ignore him, to allow Sasuke to die, he hadn't. Gaara had instead risked his life and gone looking for him in a building that could have collapsed at any second. Explosions had already gone off, it was already burning with ferocious flames. Any second now–

Gaara tensed, his head snapping to the left as he watched the building collapse in on itself, black smoke enveloping it completely along with the flames.

Another chesty cough left Gaara, the man doubling over and covering his mouth.

The Uchiha tried to get up, but his head was swimming and his world was spinning. Laying down and going to sleep seemed like such a good option. However, Sabaku Gaara had utterly annihilated those plans. And he called Sasuke the fucking idiot? How could Gaara have come here when he had Sakura waiting at home for him? She had already lost so many people she cared about!

"We…" Gaara's voice was hoarse as he shakily stood up and grabbed Sasuke's arm, throwing it over his shoulders and once more dragging him. "We need to… get away from here."

He nodded silently, also struggling with breathing as the smoke only grew and the air became more contaminated.

"Is Orochimaru…?"

Sasuke swallowed hard, recalling the battle. "…Dead."

Gaara nodded. "My car was caught…" another cough, "in the explosion. We," deep breath whilst covering his mouth and nose with the sleeve of his shirt, "need to try and find a phone."

Of course, coincidentally, everything had been destroyed in the explosion, leaving them stranded in a place that was miles from the nearest home. His own home. Damn it. Sasuke knew that he should have left things in the woods as a just in case, as a way to contact somebody if he had survived the blast. But that was just the point! Sasuke hadn't been expecting to survive. He had expected to die alongside Orochimaru, in some vicious, battle to the death. Fucking Gaara messing everything the fuck up. _Again_!

"You shouldn't have… come after me."

"Shut the fuck up," he hissed in response, his hold much rougher, "you selfish fucking bastard."

Selfish bastard? Him? "What–"

"Do you have any idea," Gaara's breathing was becoming slightly easier and it was obvious with his anger, his rant, "the sort of stress you're going to be putting Sakura through? Your brother through? Your bond with Itachi is much stronger than mine with Kankuro or even Temari and even then, I would not do something such as this."

"Now who's selfish?" Sasuke growled. "I did this–"

"For Sakura? Don't make me laugh." The redhead rested Sasuke against a tree trunk as they finally reached the woods. "You did this so that you could play the hero, in some stupidly reckless attempt to show her how much you love her."

The sad thing was, was that Sasuke couldn't even argue. Instead he stayed silent.

"Sakura already knows that you love her!" His voice was low and dark, a clear indication of his growing anger. "And in a way, she loves you too, but doing this… It isn't helping or saving anyone! It's only bringing more pain." Gaara fell silent for a moment, his brows mashing together. "She's already lost so much, Sasuke. Don't cause her any more pain. It will kill her. It will seriously kill her."

His words struck him almost as hard as the explosion had and it was with those words that Sasuke began to feel every wound, every laceration and every burn on his skin. His entire body ached, though the left side hurt way more than the right. "What makes you so sure?"

Gaara fell back against the tree trunk, feeling utterly weak as he slid down to the ground despite it hurting to do so, Sasuke slowly following him with barely hidden winces. "She's lost her parents, almost lost Ao. We almost broke up." His voice grew quieter, more strained. "She was pregnant with my child and miscarried."

It felt like somebody had stabbed him in the heart. Sakura… Pregnant? Pregnant with Gaara's child? However, it surprised Sasuke that that wasn't what hurt him the most. What hurt the most was that Sakura had miscarried. She had lost the life growing inside of her. "The attack…?" Gaara nodded silently. "How far–"

"It doesn't matter how far along Sakura was into her pregnancy. Neither of us… Neither of us knew about it. Just… We only found out when Shizune informed us that they were unable to save the baby." Gaara gazed up at the what little he could see of the sky, as they were still fairly out in the open and were able to watch as what little was left of the building collapsed. If somebody was to look over, though, they would not be seen. It was the perfect hiding spot despite seeming so out in the open. "She wouldn't say it, but I know it devastated her. So much so that…"

Sasuke knew exactly what had been about to leave Gaara's lips. Sakura's sex drive had gone straight down. She didn't want sex. Part of him felt like smiling and Sasuke had no idea why. Perhaps because he knew how high her sex drive really was? But why would he smile about that? It meant that Sakura seriously had to be traumatised by the loss of her unborn child if it put her off sex. Maybe Sasuke just couldn't believe that somebody with a sex drive like Sakura (somebody who could be so very hard to keep up with at times), wouldn't want sex? "But now?"

"We are learning to cope." Gaara muttered with a sigh. "Together, we go to counselling sessions with Tsunade."

Which meant Gaara had been hurt by the loss also, even though he seemed unaffected. Sasuke didn't know why he felt stunned. Just the way Gaara looked at Sakura told you he was madly in love with her, that he would do anything and be anything for her. Of course it would be the same for the life he created with her.

"We should get moving." the Uchiha grunted and it appeared Gaara was grateful for the change of subject, for he got up and helped Sasuke to his feet wordlessly. "Gaara…" A pause, one where the redhead glanced up at him. "Thank you." he gave a small smirk. "Itachi… He'd never forgive me for this."

No, he wouldn't. Gaara had seen how close the two brothers were and it was a bond you did not want to screw with.

* * *

They were close to home.

He'd never felt more relieved, as his body was growing heavier by the second and it was getting so dark that it was difficult to see anything. If they took much longer then they would get lost in the woods and could possibly exit at the highway. Whilst that would be a great place to get help, it would also be dangerous considering the amount of traffic that was always zooming by. There was a higher chance of them being hit by a car than being helped.

A horrible chill went through him despite the fact half of his body was still burning and in agony a second before Sasuke's foot caught on something that seemed half buried into the soil, covered by the fallen leaves from the trees surrounding it and as a single shoe came into view, their breathing stopped.

This…

It was the area where Sakura was attacked. Even if it hadn't been for the more than obvious shoe (Sakura had always had an obsession with them and Sasuke seemed to recognise it easily) Gaara could tell just by the chill that suddenly sunk right into his bones. He could tell from the time she had told him all about it after having such a relentless, terrifying nightmare that it woke her up in a cold sweat as well as an emotional breakdown.

Every single part of these woods looked the same. Except for this part. There was a suffocating darkness to it, an evil feeling. Bad things had happened here and the silence that enveloped them, despite not even speaking before finding this spot, was deafening.

The Uchiha's teeth gritted together and this time, it wasn't due to the pain he was feeling. That had been shoved to the back of his mind the moment he caught sight of the shoe. Obviously, the colour had faded a little over time and it was definitely not in the same condition as it had been that night, but he knew it was Sakura's. How? He had been there when she bought them, had had to listen to her gushing about how beautiful they were, about what a perfect buy they were.

She had been wearing them the last time he saw her before Sakura's return.

And he remembered everything about that night.

"I've never forgiven myself…" Sasuke's voice was deep and low, heavy with the emotion he was trying desperately to fight back. "…for that night." Gaara had opened up to him on the loss of his and Sakura's unborn child. A part of him, as strange as it sounded, felt somewhat comfortable with opening up to the redhead. "And that feeling only increased," his voice became rougher, "when Kabuto told me…"

About how Sakura had screamed for him, about how she had cried and screamed Sasuke's name, begging him to save her from the vile beast.

Gaara didn't know how to respond. Being told something like that, looking in that man's eyes and seeing that it wasn't a lie, had to be agonising. No, it had to be torture. Just remembering how helpless he had felt whilst seeing Sakura being pinned down, seeing Kabuto leaning over her and about to take her–

He couldn't continue with those thoughts. It was too painful.

"I've failed her twice," Sasuke told him quietly, his voice almost childlike now instead of the deep anger and pain, "and I've almost lost her twice. There couldn't be a third time. There can't be. It's why… It's why I did all this. To protect her. For once… I wanted to be the one who saves her."

And Gaara couldn't help but pity Sasuke. "Be there for her." he muttered quietly, forcing his eyes away from the shoe. "Stay by her side and continue to love her unconditionally."

"It doesn't bother you?" Sasuke frowned lightly.

"No." Gaara answered truthfully as he continued to move forward, dragging Sasuke along. He had to get away from the suffocating feeling that was weighing him down. "Sakura's… special. It's hard not to love her. And seeing that happiness in her eyes when she _knows_ that somebody loves her…" He shook his head with a small smirk. "Just that smile alone can push aside my possessiveness."

* * *

It was early morning when they finally broke out of the trees and the road that literally went on for miles had never seemed so dark and empty, so uninviting.

"Sasuke, which way?"

No answer.

Frowning, Gaara glanced down at the Uchiha, but was surprised to find that he was unconscious, the sight making his heart skip with fear. He wasn't… No, he was. Gaara shut his eyes, breathing deeply. For a moment there, he'd been certain that Sasuke wasn't breathing, that his injuries had become too much. Thankfully that wasn't the case. He had simply passed out. Gaara couldn't exactly blame him, as his body was battered, burned and cut up. It was a horrific sight. Not only that, but they'd been walking for hours now and even Gaara couldn't deny the fact that he was exhausted.

It was with shaking legs that he turned left, squinting at the dark house that was just a short distance away. Trying to see was pointless, however, given that it seemed to be late into the night now. As well as that, there were hardly any street lamps to light up the road, so it appeared to be just one, never ending road of nothing.

Forever went by before he reached the driveway of the Uchiha home, his body trembling and aching and those unrelenting coughs from earlier returning. He needed water so badly that his throat was burning, but not only was his throat burning, his entire body felt like it was burning due to exertion.

No lights were on.

Itachi's car was in the driveway, but there didn't seem to be anybody home.

Panic took over as Gaara became more desperate, dragging Sasuke up the long driveway until they reached the steps leading up to the porch. Somebody had to be in! Sasuke needed medical attention immediately! His injuries–

His legs gave out on him and Gaara grunted in pain as his head bounced off of one of the steps. It was ungracefully and painfully that he and Sasuke fell to the ground and it took what little energy the redhead had left to push his heavy body off of him.

He closed his eyes for a moment, willing his heart to slow down, willing the dizziness threatening to make him throw up, away.

Sakura filled his mind, a warm smile on her lips as she held out her arms to him.

Despite the pain, Gaara couldn't help but smile softly, giving into unconscious.

* * *

**A/N - I thought I'd update again since last chapter got quite a few reviews!**

**Only three chapters left!**

**What do you think is going to happen? Will somebody come across Gaara and Sasuke? Don't forget, this is after the explosion, so Itachi is over at Sakura's place (I failed to mention this in the last chapter, but Shisui gave them a lift to Sakura and Gaara's condo, which is why Itachi's car is still in the driveway).**

**Hahaha. Bet none of you thought this was going to happen, did you? You all have so little faith in me! ;-)**


	33. Letting You Go

**Chapter 33 – Letting You Go**

It wasn't Sasuke.

That seemingly simple, yet so very powerful sentence, continued to repeat itself in Itachi's mind over and over again, making it impossible to think of anything else.

The body they had found hadn't been his brother's.

Shisui had warned him not to get his hopes up, that they were still trying to get to certain parts of the old orphanage and he could possibly be trapped inside like the many others they had found, but Itachi couldn't help it. Yes, there was every chance that Sasuke could still be dead and yes, it was the most likely scenario. However something was telling Itachi that that wasn't the case.

And as he turned onto his driveway, he felt like a miracle had occurred.

Itachi was speeding up without another thought, tyres screeching as he came to an abrupt stop and only seconds later, he was out of Sakura's car (having needed to borrow it due to leaving his own at home), not even bothering to shut the door or turn off the engine as he ran straight over to the two bodies slumped against the stairs of the porch.

Sasuke and Gaara.

* * *

Grabbing the phone that was ringing without a break, Temari sighed, glancing over her shoulder at Kankuro. "It's Itachi. He keeps calling."

He also sighed before his eyes strayed over to the figure slumped against the large dog. Ao didn't seem to mind. He seemed just as lost. "Answer it, then."

It had been a while since the news of Sakura losing Gaara's baby. Neither sibling had any idea how to feel about it all, but they knew that it hurt. That was all they could make out of the mixture of feelings stirring within them. They would have had a niece or a nephew. _Gaara_ would have been a father!

Closing his eyes, Kankuro dropped his head into his hands, his elbows resting on his parted knees. Today was just too much. It was all too much to take in. Temari was trying to be strong and Sakura was off in her own little world. What was he supposed to do? Kankuro kept trying to think of what Gaara would do in such a situation, but those thoughts always stopped before they started. Knowing that kid the way he had, Kankuro knew that Gaara wouldn't _be_ in this situation. Why? Because he'd know exactly what to do to keep Sakura out of that head of hers, to make Temari realise she didn't need to act so tough.

_What was he supposed to do?_

"Itachi." Temari greeted quietly and was about to stand up to leave the room, but during the pause, during Itachi's speech, she seemed unable to. She seemed pinned to her seat by some unseeable force.

Kankuro turned his head to the side, watching her through the cracks of his fingers and his eyes narrowed at the look on her face.

"Sakura's… hardly decent right now. She needs rest."

Despite her words, Temari was standing up and making her way over to the room used as Sakura's dressing room, grabbing the longest coat she could find considering the fact that Sakura was still in her pyjamas.

Kankuro heard another pause and during that pause he finally lifted his head and glanced over at Sakura. Nothing. Her eyes were vacant, a clear sign that she wasn't with them and was actually in her own little world. He remembered everything Gaara had told them before, about how Sakura had a tendency to detach her mind under stressful or painful circumstances. Sometimes she did it without even knowing! Apparently, Sakura had also detached her mind during the funeral, but Itachi's voice had brought her back to herself in time to make her speech.

He tried to think back, tried to remember everything else. It was difficult. Was this the time when they _weren't_ supposed to touch her, or not? All Kankuro could remember was that, should she not want the contact, it was important that they did not touch Sakura. However, he could also remember when she had spaced out, had been having a panic attack and he'd made the mistake of touching her, resulting in Sakura pinning him to the ground without batting an eyelash, like he weighed absolutely nothing.

His eyes narrowed a fraction when Temari returned, hanging the phone up as she did so. There was a long, black jacket in her other hand. Strange. He'd never seen Sakura wear it before.

"Still has the tags on." she smiled dryly when noticing Kankuro's confusion. "That's lucky for us, because we're taking Sakura somewhere."

Where had her sudden, hopeful mood come from? Had Temari forgotten everything–

His eyes widened.

From behind Sakura (even though the younger woman wouldn't have seen it anyway), Temari actually grinned. Not wildly and not a loving smile. It was a full blown grin, her happiness and relief obvious.

She nodded once.

If Kankuro hadn't already been seated, he would've fallen to the ground as an intense relief enveloped him.

Ao growled in warning when Kankuro stood up, but thankfully didn't snap at him when Kankuro helped Sakura to her feet, making sure to keep her hands restrained and his body twisted away from hers as he did so. Growing up, he'd had to do this several times, only with Gaara instead. However, it seemed like Sakura wasn't going to put up much of a fight. Her eyes stayed vacant and her body was relaxed to the point where Kankuro had to have her lean against him so that she didn't collapse.

This time, Ao barked.

"Don't worry, Ao." Temari smiled down at the dog, patting his head. "We'll bring her straight back." Behind her, Kankuro gripped a tighter hold of Sakura, waiting for his sister to put the jacket on her. She dropped her voice to a whisper, daring to lean a little closer to the angry dog. "We're going to bring your dad back, too!"

He tilted his large head to the side.

Kankuro frowned in confusion.

His dad? Who–

Oh.

_Oh_.

"Temari, come on." he huffed. "We don't have all day."

She patted the dog's head once more, giving him a promising look, before standing once more and turning, putting the jacket onto Sakura. It worried her how the woman allowed it, how she didn't even put up a fight or make it difficult. It made her understand why Gaara was so protective of her, but not just that. It made Temari understand those tapes that had been only partly shown in court, also.

It made her sick.

It made her determined to make damn sure Sakura got her happy ending, along with her brother.

* * *

They arrived in record time, Kankuro skidding to a halt outside of the hospital. Part of him was so eager to see his younger brother, while the other part wanted to strangle him for taking such a huge risk. Another part wanted to shove Sakura in front of Gaara, to snap her out of the state she was in.

He'd seen the girl at her best and at her worst. He'd seen her happy, excited, angry, sad and ecstatic. This state she was in… It was agonising to watch. It was like her mind was shutting itself down, as everything was way too much for her to cope with.

"There he is." Temari muttered, nodding once to Kankuro as he helped Sakura out of the car, putting his arm around her waist so that it didn't seem weird to be half dragging her into the hospital. This way could be taken as a friendly gesture, instead of needing help. The last thing they needed right now was for her to be sectioned again, should anybody catch on to who she was. "Do you think…?"

Kankuro didn't reply, instead guiding Sakura into the hospital and straight over to the figure sat in one of the many chairs. He stood up the second he saw them, eyes immediately going to Sakura.

He felt awful for leaving her in such a state, for not being there to comfort her. However, Itachi had been experiencing his own grief. He had had to identify what was supposed to be Sasuke's body. If he had stayed with her, he wouldn't have found Sasuke and Gaara. Who knows how long they would've been laying there for? Who knows what would have happened to them?

"Sakura."

No reply.

It was worse than he thought, then. His voice, the previous times she had detached her mind, had always broken through that fog and brought her back to herself.

Itachi stepped forward and tilted his head in a certain direction. "You'll find him in there. He's being examined."

Kankuro and Temari spared Sakura a single look, but knowing she would be safe in the hands of Uchiha Itachi, knowing that he would take care of her, they nodded once and rushed over to the examination room, feeling desperate to see their baby brother.

"Sakura," Itachi sighed and cupped her cheek, "focus on me."

Nothing.

"He's alive, Sakura. Sasuke's alive."

Something flashed in her eyes.

"He wants to see you."

Her eyes fluttered for a few moments and during those moments, Itachi dropped his hand and took a step back, thankful that she was coming back to herself.

A minute later and she was tilting her head to the side, like she couldn't fully understand his words.

"Sasuke's… alive?"

Itachi nodded silently, watching her for a moment before holding out his hand. "Would you like to go and see him?"

A tear slipped down her cheek. "Yeah."

* * *

"Idiot!"

His eyes drifted up from the wall to stare at the two who entered his room almost aggressively.

It was Temari who entered first, all but shoving the nurse out of the way to cup her brother's cheeks, turning his head this way and that to get a good look at him. Finally, she sighed a quivering sigh, closing her eyes.

"You idiot." she repeated quietly.

Kankuro held the door open for the nurse, not even glancing at her as she disappeared quickly. After a second he shut it, walking over to his siblings. "What were you thinking, Gaara?"

Silence for a moment. "…I was thinking that Sakura has already lost too many she cares for."

Despite trying to remain strong for the others, a tear slipped down Temari's cheek, utterly stunning Gaara. "So you risked your life, the one person who means the absolute world to her, to save her ex?"

"He's not just her 'ex', is he?" Gaara retorted quietly, his voice hoarse. "Uchiha Sasuke is a part of Sakura's life and always will be. Before being lovers, they were friends. Best friends. They have always had each other, Temari. Think about it. I have. And I accept it. I accepted it a long time ago. Sasuke will always be a part of Sakura's life. If she lost him, it would break her."

"And if she lost you?" Kankuro fired back, eyes narrowing. "And what about us? What if _we_ lost you?"

No answer.

"Like you said, Sakura's already lost so much, Gaara." the older brother continued, eyebrows knitting together. "You could've helped her through losing Sasuke. You could have–"

"That would have been the selfish thing to do."

"It would have been the safest thing to do!"

Icy blue eyes snapped to dark brown, narrowing dangerously.

Temari was quick to stand in between them, her features pleading. "Please try to understand that it's been a horrible couple of days for us, Gaara. We thought we lost you and when we went to check up on Sakura… She was passed out in the bathroom. She's lost inside that head of hers. But… Not before she told us…"

The anger cracked, revealing just a fraction of his pain. "About the baby. She… told you about it?"

She nodded silently.

"Where is she?" Gaara tried to stand, but it was obvious he was too exhausted to do so.

Grabbing his brother's arm, Kankuro attempted to help him, but Temari shook her head fiercely at him. "Gaara, you're staying in bed for now. Itachi has taken her to Sasuke first. We need to ease her into this, not just throw her head first into all of this. It's going to be so much pressure on her–"

"Temari–"

She cut Kankuro off. "You saw her, Kankuro! You _saw her_!"

"Ease her into it." Gaara agreed quietly, allowing his sister to help him back into bed.

"But if she sees you, won't that just be a weight off her mind and shoulders?"

"No." he answered Kankuro's question just as quietly. "Sakura's had so much thrown at her this past year and I was once told that too much stress for the mind is never good. It could cause her to shut down completely. Seeing Sasuke first will help her realise a few things, will slowly help her mind adjust to the possibility of my survival, also."

Slowly, unsurely, Kankuro nodded. "So… By seeing Sasuke, she'll realise that you saved him?"

"Not only that," Temari gave a soft smile, "but her, too."

"Sasuke told me something." Gaara stated, eyes falling to his stomach as he leaned back onto the lifted, upper half of the bed. "Something about our father."

The look on their brother's face told them all they needed to know. "He's gone… Isn't he?"

When Gaara nodded once, Temari turned away, covering her mouth to hold back her sob. Part of her had always known that their father wasn't alive, that he'd died, because of the letters they received. They had informed them that, should they receive them on Gaara's eighteenth birthday, then he was no longer around. However, as her personal detectives hadn't been able to find anything on their father, Temari had always childishly clung onto the hope that he was still out there, just waiting for the right moment to return to them, when it would be safe for him to do so.

Now that hope was shattered.

Kankuro was silent until a few minutes later when he asked, "How does Sasuke know?"

A pause. "Orochimaru. Sasuke killed Orochimaru, but not before he shared all he'd done with him. He killed not only our father, but also…"

"Also Uchiha Fugaku and Mikoto."

Their eyes snapped up to the man standing in the doorway, widening at the sight of none other than Uchiha Shisui.

* * *

The feeling of something warm dripping onto his hand woke him up and the sight that greeted him was one Sasuke thought he'd never see again. Sakura was by his side and while it wasn't a pretty sight, what with him being bandaged up and in the hospital, and with her crying over him, there was no denying that it warmed him.

"Sakura…"

Her bottom lip trembled, her tears falling faster. "You're an asshole!" she spat out, gritting her teeth. "You… You could've gotten yourself… killed… and–"

It had been around ten minutes since Itachi brought her to Sasuke's room, watching his younger brother with obvious relief for a moment before giving her some time with him. Whilst he hadn't been awake at the time, they could tell that Sasuke was only dozing and not actually asleep or sedated. Knowing the younger Uchiha, despite his pain, he would have vehemently refused any drugs.

And, by having some time to herself, no matter how short it was, Sakura slowly began 'waking up'. Thought after thought shot through her mind, hope after hope.

"You're safe now." he murmured, watching those expressive green eyes. A small, tired smile pulled at his lips. "You don't have to worry about Orochimaru… or any of his men… anymore."

"You…?"

Sasuke swallowed hard against the pain that was catching up to him, though nodded. "…Yeah."

"But… But why?"

There was a serious look in his eyes as he stared up at her. It was a mixture of different feelings going from sadness, to pain and finally to acceptance. "I was tired of you being hurt." Sasuke told her quietly. "I… went up against Orochimaru… for you, because of the way I feel about you. I've always loved you, Sakura."

Once more, her lip was trembling. "Sasuke–"

"_But_," he gave an exhausted smirk, "I'm finally letting you go. You don't… You don't have to worry about me anymore."

"Idiot." she just barely held back her sob, leaning forward and brushing the bangs off his forehead, pressing a tender kiss there. "I'll always worry about you. This… I have no idea how I'll ever be able to repay you. I feel…" Sakura shook her head, stroking his face softly and fondly with her thumb. "For the first time since Kabuto attacked me, I finally, _truly_, feel… free and safe."

He swallowed hard again and Sakura could have sworn that tears filled his eyes, but Sasuke forced them back and while he composed himself, she pulled away, smiling sadly.

"You're going to find someone one day." Sakura told him softly, taking his hand in hers as she sat down. "Someone who… Someone who makes all of this pain worth it."

There was a short pause as Sasuke regarded her. Finally, he sighed. "You should go and find him."

"Him?"

A frown pulled at his features. "Yeah… Gaara?"

Her hands shook. "H–He's alive? But Shisui… Shisui said…"

Seeing Sakura's pain made him feel sick, so Sasuke was quick to soothe it. "He's alive, Sakura. Gaara's the one who saved me. We…" he gave her a reluctant smirk. "I think we even got on… Or made a truce, at the least."

A happy sob tore from her chest, the relief she could feel overwhelming her.

* * *

What was she waiting for?

Biting her lip, Sakura continued to stare at the door of Gaara's room. It was such a… She wasn't sure. A huge emotion was sitting on her heart and stomach at the knowledge of Gaara being inside of that room. After the news she'd received, Sakura had been certain that she would never get to see him again. Speak to him. Touch him. Just simply be with him. The second she was told of his death, she hadn't thought any of those things possible anymore. They were gone. He was gone.

So what was she doing still out here, instead of in there?

Being told that Gaara was alive should have had her sprinting down the corridors and barging straight into his room, whether he was decent or not mattered little. Of course Sakura was relieved and of course she wanted to see him. She just…

The door to the room opening had her taking a step back, eyes going wide.

"Sakura?"

Shisui.

It was only Shisui.

"I…"

"What are you doing out here?" he asked softly, already knowing what the siblings knew. "You can see him."

She took a hesitant step forward, but it felt like something was yanking her backwards, refusing to allow her to enter the room. "He's… okay?"

"Yes."

A hand being placed onto her shoulder had Sakura flinching, had her spinning quickly to see who it was. The sight of Itachi had her sighing quietly. "Sorry. I just… I feel…"

"It's nothing like Sasuke's injuries, Sakura, if that is what you're worried about."

Anger flooded through her, making her fists clench and shake. "I don't care about what he looks like!" she yelled in disbelief and was saddened that Itachi thought so little of her. She wasn't so superficial as to be disgusted if Gaara was burned and heavily bandaged like Sasuke currently was. "Gaara could be armless and legless and I wouldn't care!"

"Then what is holding you back?" Shisui questioned.

"He's… He…"

"Is alive." Itachi told her softly, silently trying to remind her that they were in a hospital. Not only that, but Gaara's door was open. He doubted the younger man was sleeping, however, he would be resting. "He went after Sasuke to save him, Sakura. They are both alive."

She knew they were alive. That wasn't what was stopping her from going into that room. Sakura had absolutely no idea what was stopping her! It–

"–_do this on her own._"

"_Gaara–_"

"_No. Don't push her._"

Him.

It was him.

The relief was overwhelming, just like when Sasuke had told her he was alive. It was so powerful that her legs actually gave out on her the same time as a sob tore from deep within her chest. Her head fell into her hands, entire body shaking with cries.

Itachi gave a small smile and knelt down beside her, Shisui doing the same on her other side.

It was wordlessly that they lifted her, helping her into the room and even though she didn't open her eyes, didn't look at him, Gaara couldn't help but inwardly sigh with relief. She wasn't retreating into her own mind. Sakura just couldn't decide on what to feel more. Happiness and relief, or confusion and pain.

"You're lucky to have brothers like us." Shisui smirked, nodding once to Itachi and together, they reached down and lifted her legs up, placing her down beside Gaara on the bed. "Not many would do the same!"

But she wasn't listening because Gaara reached out for her, steadying her so that she didn't fall off the narrow bed. She couldn't hear their words because _he was touching her and he was alive and–_

Sakura quickly sat up, yanking him against her and holding him in a tight, unrelenting embrace, almost squeezing the air from his lungs as she did so.

He held her just as tightly, burying his face into her neck and closing his eyes.

"Thank you." she whispered to whatever God was finally listening, tightening her hold. "Thank you."

* * *

**A/N - Even though I'm sick at the moment, I'm in such a good mood. In less than six weeks, five now I think, my little nephew is going to be born! I'm so excited to meet him and spoil him rotten! Ugh, it's a shame my brother lives in a different town, but I've already told him I'll be babysitting the baby all the time.**

**Only two chapters left!**

**Okay, good mood spoiled. The 'celebrity' I grew up absolutely adoring died on Monday and people are saying he committed suicide. While girls nowadays have One Direction or Justin Bieber, I had Lil' Chris and I'm actually gutted that he's dead. Got to meet him on my sixteenth birthday! He seemed so kind and just a genuinely nice person. RIP Chris Hardman x**

**Another thing that spoiled my good mood is that I had my last Japanese lesson today :-(**

**But, it's a known fact that I always write when I'm in a bad mood. Perhaps that's why I always end up going on killing sprees. Hm...**


	34. Finally, Our Happy Ending

**Chapter 34 – Finally, Our Happy Ending**

It had been four months since the day she thought she lost both Gaara and Sasuke.

Gaara was released from hospital the next day after tests showed he was healthy and wasn't too badly harmed from inhaling smoke from the fire. However, the same couldn't be said for Sasuke. His recovery was long and painful. Burns covered at least forty percent of his body and unfortunately, the explosion had left him completely deaf in his left ear and he had suffered from a concussion. Those burns were slowly healing and the doctors even said that some of them will eventually fade, but the burns on the left side of his chest, back, hip and parts of his leg and arm would not. They would permanently scar.

Sasuke did not care.

That didn't surprise Sakura in the least. She knew him better than most people and knew that he would wear those scars like they were medals (but would never admit to it). Why? Because they were the scars that proved he made living safe for Sakura. He was the one who made her feel safe once more when she left the house. She was capable of leaving windows and the balcony doors open without fear of being attacked the second she left the room.

Sakura wasn't the only one who appreciated what he'd done.

So many people thanked him for saving her and whilst it made him uncomfortable having so many people thanking him for his efforts, it only made him feel even better about what he did.

Naruto (not including Gaara and Sakura) was the first of many who thanked him. The second he heard the news, he was charging his way straight into Sasuke's hospital room and he didn't leave until hours later. What was said, nobody knew other than the two men. All they knew was that Naruto left the room hours later with red–rimmed eyes and tear stained cheeks, though a bright grin on his face.

Around two months ago Sasuke was discharged from the hospital, though for the first week, did not leave his home. It was understandable. And instead of pushing him, Itachi took on the entire workload of the Uchiha Company, although Sasuke did as much of it as he could from home.

It was a week later when Sakura returned home from college to a surprise.

Uchiha Sasuke was sat in her living room.

However, he wasn't visiting her.

He was visiting Gaara.

The smile hadn't left her face for weeks, especially as she realised the two were slowly but surely becoming friends. While letting Sakura go, Sasuke was welcoming a friendship with Gaara. He already knew the redhead was good for her, that they belonged together, but this was him showing he accepted the relationship.

Sakura couldn't be happier.

Don't get her wrong, though, because it wasn't all smiles. There had been a lot of mess to clean up and a lot to try and sort out. About a week after the fight with Orochimaru, once the man's body had been found and he was definitely dead, Shisui had reluctantly informed her that the case was now closed and any other man and woman who couldn't be identified (from the tapes), would go unpunished unless they handed themselves in. In other words, the police, whilst they would arrest any of the men and women who raped her should they have sufficient evidence and a warrant, were not actively looking for them any longer.

He was also reluctant to inform her of his discovery of a few prisoners escaping. The officers who aided in the escape had all been fired and were undergoing punishment and investigations. Thankfully, Zaku and Dosu were still locked away. Well, they were now. Apparently Akatsuki got their hands on the two men to find out some more information, although Itachi hadn't known about that. It just went to show that he had a lot more trust to be earned before they could make the arrest on Akatsuki.

As well as this, Suigetsu and Karin were arrested once more.

Gaara had reported that he came across Karin whilst searching for Sasuke, and that she'd even helped him in saving the Uchiha. However, that didn't excuse her of the bad things she'd done in the past. Both hers and Suigetsu's sentences had been doubled because of their 'escape attempts'.

Nobody spoke up that Suigetsu was abducted, not an escapee.

So, all in all, Sakura was feeling much happier. Her enemies were either dead or locked away (the most dangerous being dead and leaving the weak, less scary ones leaderless and without orders) and her remaining loved ones were all alive and safe.

Just like herself.

And now Sakura woke up every morning with a smile, having slept the night before without nightmares, without having to worry that it would be the last time she ever opened her eyes again. No, it wasn't perfect and there were days that could be trying for her, but she was getting there, getting better.

Almost losing Gaara a second time opened her eyes, made her more appreciative of everything he'd done or still did.

Smiling to herself, Sakura nodded once to Ino, who looked her up and down with tearful eyes.

"It's beautiful." she whispered, trying her best not to cry again. She'd only just fixed her makeup. "Your parents would be so proud of you, Sakura."

This time, it was Sakura who was tearing up. "Ino…"

"Don't!" the blonde groaned and dabbed at the corners of her eyes. "You're going to make me cry again and then we'll _both_ have to redo our makeup. _Again_!"

Turning, Sakura glanced at herself in the mirror, though her eyes stayed glued to the dress she was wearing.

The final gift from her mother.

It had been a surprise when Ino turned up at her apartment one morning, a saddened look on her tear stained face. The tears had started again when she broke down and told Sakura what she had been emailed. And when she logged onto Sakura's laptop and showed Sakura the email, she also broke down. It had been sent from an employee of Mebuki's, one of her most trusted employees who was ordered to send it, should the woman be unable to complete it herself.

A wedding dress.

Her mother had designed Sakura's wedding dress.

Ino had been the one who made the design a reality, dropping absolutely everything to create Mebuki's final design. She obeyed every tip, every piece of advice and every order like it was the word of God. No changes, no alterations. Nothing. And Sakura couldn't be happier with the outcome.

Taking into account that she wouldn't want her scars on show (even though they were covered with tattoos), white lace sleeves ran down her arms. The shoulders were of the same lace material, but became an actual dress at the bodice, which was tight and very flattering to her figure. At the neckline, it was bit of a plunge, but it was tasteful, the same going for the part of her back that was on show. The floral lace was present until halfway down her legs, though the floral feature wasn't as much as it got to her lower hips/upper thighs, where the dressed began to flare out.

Holding up the front of it delicately, Sakura turned to the side and smiled softly as the dress trailed behind her.

It was beautiful.

Apparently, her mother had been designing it the second Gaara told Mebuki and Kazashi of his wish to propose to Sakura, to marry her.

"Thank you for creating it, Ino." Sakura told her earnestly, turning around once more to smile at her best friend. "You did a great job."

"I'm no Haruno Mebuki, but I think I'm getting there." she smiled sadly in return.

Growing up, Mebuki had been Ino's idol. Everything the older woman designed, Ino owned. Even the stuff that had been too mature for a girl of Ino's age (when she was still in school). She worshipped the woman and had always aspired to become a great designer, hopefully surpassing Mebuki.

"My mom sent her designs to you because she knew you'd be great at finishing them for her."

Ino nodded before smiling brightly, willing the sadness to go away. "Ready?"

Sakura took a deep breath. "Do you even have to ask?"

The blonde grinned, heading over to the double doors and dramatically throwing them open, demanding the attention of the women waiting in the adjoined dressing room. It vaguely surprised her to spot Itachi in the room, but since everyone was decent and waiting on Sakura, it didn't surprise her too much. Knowing Temari, she would've dragged him in there so they could all see his reaction to Sakura's appearance.

Whilst it wasn't much, the way his eyes warmed spoke volumes.

"You look beautiful, Sakura–san." Hinata told her softly, a smile on her lips.

"My brother's a lucky man." Temari added with a smirk.

She refrained from nervously pushing her hair behind her ear, considering only strands were left down and curled, whilst the rest was elegantly curled and pinned up. There was a hair comb that held all the hair together and the light bounced off of the diamonds brightly. A temporary gift from Ino, so that she would have something borrowed.

Itachi stepped forward, holding a box in his hands and the sight of it had her eyes widening, having forgotten about it completely.

She turned her back on him, smiling to herself as Itachi opened the box and picked up the necklace, lifting it over her head and fastening it behind her neck. The smile on her face warmed as Sakura gently touched the navy blue pendant and turned to face him once more.

"Thanks for bringing this to me, Itachi."

"They considered you as their daughter." he stated simply, though the warm look in his eyes never disappeared for a second. "They would have been honoured to be a part of your wedding."

Mikoto's necklace. After being given it as a present on her eighteenth birthday, Sakura had put it away for safe keeping, not wanting to ruin it or lose it. She was so grateful for Itachi picking it up for her.

"My 'something blue'." she whispered.

Itachi raised an eyebrow, a small smirk on his lips. "It is also very old."

_Something old, something–_

"I don't have anything new!"

"Wrong!" Temari smirked and stepped forward with a bag in her hands. "I went shopping early this morning and bought this for you."

Sakura accepted the gift with a smile and reached into the bag, pausing at the feeling of lace. "Don't tell me…"

The two blondes standing close to her raised an eyebrow each, folding their arms over their chests. Sakura honestly felt sorry for Shikamaru. He'd never catch a break considering one woman was his girlfriend, while the other, was like his sister. "Open it." The two demanded together. "And put it on."

With a blush on her cheeks and keeping her eyes away from Itachi's, Sakura once more reached into the bag and pushed aside the paper, pulling out the lacy garter reluctantly.

Inwardly, Itachi sighed. That was something he could have gone without seeing.

As was the next thing to happen.

Sighing, Sakura slipped off her heel and slid the garter up her leg, though pulled away when Ino slapped away her hands and assisted, realising that the dress was in the way and should she lean forward too much, there would no doubt be a flashing incident. She knew Sakura would destroy her if Itachi happened to receive an eyeful of her br–

"All done!" she grinned brightly and stood up straight, smoothing her hands down her dress just in case there were wrinkles.

The three women standing in the room with her were all wearing the same dress. Crimson silk covered their bodies like second skins and even though the neckline was a little lower than she was used to, Hinata hadn't complained once about it. It was a beautiful dress, she'd told Sakura quietly with a blush on her cheeks. Other than the low neckline, the rest of the dress was rather conservative (Sakura taking Hinata's beliefs into consideration when choosing the dresses), loosening ever so slightly on the hips before dropping to the ground and pooling around their feet.

Her bridesmaids were beautiful, Sakura thought with a smile.

Of course, what with Ino being her maid of honour, she had a small alteration to her dress (one which secretly had Sakura rolling her eyes) and that alteration was the fact that, while Hinata's and Temari's dresses had thick shoulder straps which covered their shoulders completely, her dress was strapless. Sakura didn't complain about the difference. Ino had always managed to stand out, after all.

"I can still remember your first date with Gaara." Temari stated suddenly, a small smirk on her lips. "And how nervous you looked when I was the one who answered the door."

Oh God, Sakura could remember it all perfectly. "If I remember correctly," she teased in response, "it was also your first date with Shikamaru that night."

The older woman chuckled in response. "I knew there was something special about you, Haruno Sakura. And I'm glad my little brother chose you to be the one he reached out to."

"Don't!" Sakura warned, eyes stinging.

"We've only just fixed her makeup!" Ino groaned and leaned forward, carefully dabbing at the corners of Sakura's eyes. "Is it time yet?"

Surprisingly, it had been Ino to ask the question repeatedly every ten minutes and not Sakura. For a moment, had she not taken their appearances into account, Sakura could have sworn that the blonde was the one who was getting married. However, she was grateful for the support and the help. If anybody could pull together a wedding in such a short amount of time, it was Yamanaka Ino.

She accepted the bouquet from Yamanaka's Flower Shop as it was held out to her, inhaling the wonderful scent as she did so.

"It's time." Temari nodded once, answering Ino's question.

"Are you ready, Sakura–san?" Hinata asked quietly, a gentle smile on her lips.

Taking a step closer to Itachi and looping her arm through one of his when he held it out, Sakura nodded once, trying and failing to breathe through her nerves. "I'm ready."

Temari was the one to lead the way, heels clicking loudly against the marble flooring as she walked, head held high and a proud smirk on her face as she turned a corner, winking at Sakura before entering the main hall of the church when the music began. The reason why Sakura chose to have her wedding in a church and not outdoors like she'd wanted growing up, was because this was the very same place her parents had been wed. It was a special place to her and hopefully, it would be the beginning of a great future, of a marriage just as happy as her parents'. Hinata was next and whilst she was more reserved than Temari, with a soft smile on her lips rather than a smirk, she looked just as stunning as she entered the hall.

Just before Ino followed, she turned to face Sakura, giving her a meaningful look. "You deserve this, Sakura, so I expect to see nothing but smiles and happiness from you. After everything… I'm so glad that you're here, marrying the man you love."

She swallowed hard against the heavy emotion settling on her chest. "I love you, pig."

"Who doesn't?" the blonde smirked in reply and spun back around to enter the hall, quietly adding just before she began her walk, "I love you, too, forehead. Be happy."

They had a minute.

"You're nervous."

Her hold tightened on Itachi's sleeve though relaxed a moment later so she didn't crease it. "A little."

Surprising her greatly, he leaned down and kissed her forehead. Growing up she'd seen him tap Sasuke's every now and then, and she knew that it was a big sign of affection from him. "Don't be. You have come a long way, Sakura." Itachi told her quietly, comfortingly. "You are finally going to have the happiness you deserve and should have had all along. I'm sorry that it took so long for you to have it."

"Don't be." she repeated his words. "The past has made me who I am today and while there are so many things that I would take back if I could, there are also things that I wouldn't take back or change for the world."

As the music drifted to a close and the next one began, he gave her a soft smile. "That is our cue, I believe."

"Thank you for this, Itachi." Sakura whispered to him as they slowly made their way over to the double doors, the ones that would lead her to none other than Sabaku Gaara. The man she would be marrying in just a few short minutes. "For being there, for walking me down the aisle, for being my big brother."

He smirked. "Thank you for allowing me the honour of being your older brother"

And then they were walking down the aisle.

All eyes were on her as they walked the slow march, as Sakura glanced around the hall and smiled warmly at her guests. She could see Kakashi, Minato, Kushina, Tsunade, Shizune, Genma and Jiraiya standing together on the front row and on the opposite row stood Sasuke, Shisui, Sai, Naruto and Shikamaru.

The moment her eyes reached the alter, her breathing stopped and her heart broke out into a sprint. It was like all cliché wedding moments, where the bride saw her groom waiting for her up on that alter, saw him standing there with proud eyes as he watched her come to him. And Sakura couldn't help but smile brightly at him.

All other faces were unimportant to her at that moment in time and when Gaara stepped down from the alter, meeting both her and Itachi, she rolled her eyes, as Itachi and Gaara nodded once (reminding her of high school and how much it annoyed her when men nodded at one another, instead of saying what they were thinking or feeling).

The night before, like all nights before a wedding, was spent separated from Gaara. He'd gone and stayed with his brother (who failed to inform him of there being others there to celebrate his 'stag' night) and Sakura had gone over to Ino's place where not only Ino waited for her, but also Temari and Hinata. They'd all gone on to having a huge pamper session. Massages, nails, face masks… The lot. And while it wasn't a wild night out (due to her alcohol dependency), it was perfect.

Itachi, the man who was known to have possibly the greatest pokerface ever, could not hide his proud smile as he handed Sakura over, enjoying the warmth in her eyes. He didn't have to tell Gaara to take care of her. He didn't have to issue any warnings or threaten the man. Time and time again, he'd already proven that, no matter what the cost, he would protect her with his life. Sakura was Gaara's greatest weakness and everybody knew that.

He turned to face the many guests, making his way to sit beside his brother. While it was hard watching Sakura marry another, Sasuke was happy for her. This was the ending she truly deserved. Itachi tilted his head to the side, regarding Sasuke for a moment, before receiving a nod from him.

It was when they stood up on the alter that Sakura noticed somebody seated beside Tsunade, somebody she had, for some reason, failed to notice the first time.

"He came."

Gaara smiled at her, looking at the man out of the corner of his eyes.

Yashamaru.

"He came." he repeated to her quietly.

While not officially out of the hospital, Yashamaru had been granted a day pass by Tsunade, who escorted him to the wedding. For a while they'd heard nothing from the man so had assumed he wouldn't be turning up. However, Sakura was so happy that Yashamaru had decided to attend his youngest nephew's wedding. And, from the looks in Kankuro's and Temari's eyes, she knew that they felt just as happy.

The priest stepped towards them both, remembering the time many years ago when two others had stood on this very alter. Just last year he had sadly serviced their funeral, greatly saddened that such a loving couple had passed. But seeing the beauty their daughter had turned into, seeing the man she was marrying, blossomed that hope within him once more. The world was no longer a perfect place. Just looking at the young woman's past told you that. However, the couple before her had stayed together despite their demons.

They allowed him to believe that true love still existed in a world corrupted by evil.

And with that, he began the ceremony.

"We are gathered here today to celebrate one of life's greatest moments, to recognize the worth and beauty of love, and to cherish the words which shall unite Sabaku Gaara and Haruno Sakura in marriage." The priest's voice seemed to drift by them and down the aisle to the guests, echoing easily off the church's walls. "Gaara and Sakura, in the days ahead of you, there will be great times of joy, but also, there will be times of difficulty and conflict. When you find yourselves in these situations, I ask you to reflect on this marriage advice: Let your love be stronger than your anger. Learn the wisdom of compromise, for it is better to bend than to break. Look for the best in your beloved rather than the worst. Confide in your partner and ask for help when you need it. Remember that true friendship is the basis for any lasting relationship. Give your spouse the same courtesies and kindnesses you bestow on your friends. Say 'I love you' every day.

"Do you both understand the commitment you are about to enter into today?"

She smiled up at Gaara, who returned her smile with a warm look. They answered together. "We do."

"Gaara and Sakura, I remind you that marriage is a precious gift; a lifelong dedication to love and a daily challenge to love one another more fully and more freely." The priest looked down at Gaara, making it obvious he was now speaking to him. "With this understanding, do you, Sabaku Gaara, take Haruno Sakura to be your beloved wife? Do you promise to be a tender, faithful husband? Do you promise to love and cherish her, in sickness and in health, for richer for poorer, for better for worse, and look to her as an equal partner through the rest of your life?"

He didn't even have to think about it. "I do."

Then, the priest faced Sakura. "With this understanding, do you, Haruno Sakura, take Sabaku Gaara to be your beloved husband? Do you promise to be a tender, faithful wife? Do you promise to love and cherish him, in sickness and in health, for richer for poorer, for better for worse, and look to him as an equal partner through the rest of your life?"

She smiled brightly. "I do."

"Gaara and Sakura have chosen rings as outward symbols of the commitment they make today. From earliest times, the ring has been a symbol of wedded love. An unbroken and never–ending circle symbolizes a commitment to love that is also never ending. Gaara, take the ring which you have selected, place it on Sakura's finger, and say to her these words." Gaara turned to the side and accepted the ring from Kankuro, his best man, who gave him a proud grin. He turned back to Sakura. "This ring, a gift for you, symbolizes my desire that you be my wife from this day forward."

Gaara slid the ring onto her finger, smiling down at her softly. "This ring, a gift for you, symbolizes my desire that you be my wife from this day forward." The priest nodded once, giving him the sign that it was time for his personal vows. "You are a major part of who I am, Sakura. Everything you do only further endears you to me. The way you smile in the morning when you first wake up, trying to stop me from leaving for work by literally hanging onto me and dragging me back into bed – even going as far as to have Ao help you." Sakura chuckled shyly, hearing others chuckle in the crowd. "The way you always greet me with what looks like a simple kiss on the cheek, but actually means so much more than that." She had picked that up from her mother and father. "The way that, when you are studying or working, you will stare off into space before suddenly jolting when you find your answer – like you've been hit by lightning." Gaara's smile warmed and he gave her hand a soft squeeze. "I can go on for hours, but the thing that stands out the most to me is how you are so selfless. Even if you are suffering yourself, you make sure your friends and family are all okay, that they're happy. That is one of the many reasons why I love you."

The priest smiled softly before glancing at a blushing Sakura. "Sakura, take the ring which you have selected, place it on Gaara's finger, and say to him these words." Sakura bit back her grin as she turned and accepted the ring from Ino, who in response smirked. "This ring, a gift for you, symbolizes my desire that you be my husband from this day forward."

Sakura took a deep breath and repeated the priest's words whilst slipping on the ring, smiling up at Gaara when she was done. "This ring, a gift for you, symbolizes my desire that you be my husband from this day forward." Then, she also received 'the nod' and nervously exhaled. "I was reading…" Sakura smiled softly, glancing down at their hands, watching how the ring fit onto his finger. "And there was one quote that stood out to me. Made me think of you. '_Love is made up of three unconditional properties in equal measure: acceptance, understanding and appreciation_'. With you, Gaara, I feel like I have all of that and more. You understand me in ways nobody else ever can. You appreciate even the smallest things I do. And despite my many, _many_ flaws, you accept me. And nothing I will ever do can ever tell you how much I appreciate that, how intensely it makes me love you. But I'm willing to try for as long as it takes. You've never given up on me once and you never let me face things alone. Somehow, some way, you're always there, guiding me. Even if it's from the shadows. And when times get hard, when things get tough, you support me."

Tears filled her eyes and it took everything in her to stop them from falling. Ino had already yelled at her many times for crying and ruining her makeup, effectively ruining hers when she started to cry, too. "I feel like I'm nagging or rambling," she chuckled, her eyes lifting to his and her smile warmed when she saw the tender look in his icy blue eyes, "but I just want to say one last thing. Before you came into my life, it's no secret that I was… lost. But as I helped you find your way, you helped me find mine. And that's how our relationship works. It is how it has always and will always work. You give as much as you take. Never any more and never any less. We have always been equals in our relationship and I hope – no, I _know_ that it will always stay that way. I love you."

Again, the priest was smiling when she nodded to him that she was done. "Let these rings serve not as locks binding you together, but as keys, unlocking the secrets of your hearts for each other to know, and thus bringing you closer together forever. May the sun bring you new energy by day. May the moon softly restore you by night. May the rain wash away your worries. And may you live the days of your lives in peace, love, and happiness." he gave them both a warm smile. "Gaara and Sakura, having witnessed your vows for marriage with all who are assembled here, and by the authority vested in me, I announce with great joy that you are husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

There was no hesitation when Gaara leaned down, moving his lips against hers in a slow, chaste kiss, his hand resting lightly on her waist whilst hers was on his shoulder. Their hands with the wedding rings were still holding tightly onto the other's, both enjoying the feeling of the rings on their fingers, joining them together. After a minute or so, Gaara pulled away when he heard the tell tale sign of her breathing hitch, when he felt her tighten her hold on his hand in a soft warning. The last thing they wanted was for her to get turned on in front of all of their family and friends – in front of the priest!

Time seemed to pass quickly for them after that, as they drifted through the gathered guests as husband and wife, accepting congratulations and wishes for the best.

* * *

It was beautiful. All of it was. From the place where the reception was being held, to the decorations, right down to the people attending. All of it…

Her bridesmaids had all been given the responsibility of taking pictures – and lots of them. These went from your random shots to the pictures where you really went for the pose (something Sakura had been seeing loads of since arriving).

She didn't pay much attention to the order of her reception and hadn't wanted much of a fuss, so it was safe to say that it was pretty much just a very large and expensive party. And where was it being held? Only the exact same place Gaara had proposed to her, where her nineteenth birthday celebration had been held. He remembered how in love with the place Sakura had been and had done everything in his power to reserve it for the reception.

And now, after over two years of being together, after all the pain and the hurt, after all the loss and the suffering, here they were.

It made it all seem so worth it.

As Gaara stood up, helping Sakura to her feet and guiding her to the centre of the dance floor for their first dance, she didn't have to force her smile. Sakura didn't have to put on a pretty face and fight hard to make everyone believe that she was okay. Hell, she wasn't even bothered by the fact almost everyone in the room was drinking. Her happiness was real. The only thing that would've made her wedding day even greater was if her parents had been there to celebrate it with her.

Gaara pulled her closer when they reached their destination, when those on the dance floor moved away or sat down at their tables to watch the newly wedded couple. And it was wordlessly that he began to slowly sway, enjoying the warmth that surrounded him when Sakura leaned against him, her cheek resting on his shoulder and her breath tickling his neck every time she exhaled. It was such a relaxing feeling, one that allowed him to forget about those watching them. It made him feel like there was only the two of them.

_So lately, been wondering  
Who will be there to take my place  
When I'm gone, you'll need love  
To light the shadows on your face_

Tears threatened to fill Sakura's eyes as the song began, as she pulled back to look up at Gaara. He was smirking down at her, proud that she liked his choice of song for their first dance. While Sakura ran everything by him, making sure to remind him that it was also his wedding day as well as her own, he'd been left entirely alone to choose their first dance song.

"You didn't…"

His smirk warmed into a smile. "I did."

_If a great wave shall fall  
It'd fall upon us all  
And between the sand and stone  
Could you make it on your own?_

Closing her eyes, Sakura pressed a soft kiss against his lips before resting her cheek against his shoulder once more.

"I remember when you sang this to me." she whispered.

So did he. "You were hungover."

"And you made it known with the way you sang it that you wanted me to be yours."

_If I could, then I would  
I'll go wherever you will go  
Way up high or down low  
I'll go wherever you will go_

Look where they were now.

They had gone from laying in her bed, limbs entangled and lives that weren't overly so, but fairly messy, to here and now. There'd been love triangles, pain, Kabuto and Orochimaru, more pain and just… Everything. But now here they were! On their wedding day.

_And maybe, I'll find out  
The way to make it back someday  
To watch you, to guide you  
Through the darkest of your days_

_If a great wave shall fall  
It'd fall upon us all  
Well I hope there's someone out there  
Who can bring me back to you_

When Gaara began to quietly sing the lyrics to her in her ear, it was safe to say that Sakura melted, that she pressed her body closer to his and sighed shakily. Just like the first time Gaara sang the song to her, her heart was pounding, stomach knotting and flipping and her breathing was shaky. Just like the first time, it was intimate, yet not sexual and while it confused her greatly how the two were different, Sakura had had a whole two years to figure it out, with Gaara patiently staying by her side as she did so.

_If I could, then I would  
I'll go wherever you will go  
Way up high or down low  
I'll go wherever you will go_

_Run away with my heart  
Run away with my hope  
Run away with my love_

And just like the first time, Sakura's stomach pooled hotly, her cheeks burned, as he sang those three lines so intimately in her ear, although she knew that the rest of the song would make her even hotter. Part of her hoped Gaara would stop singing, hoped that he would realise he was turning her on, but the other part wanted him to keep going, to keep fanning those flames until they reached unstoppable heights.

_I know now, just quite how  
My life and love might still go on  
In your heart, in your mind  
I'll stay with you for all of time_

_If I could, then I would  
I'll go wherever you will go  
Way up high or down low  
I'll go wherever you will go_

Being with Gaara sexually was still a little difficult for Sakura, as every time they got just that little bit closer to having sex, panic would overwhelm her as well as the feeling of failure. Failure because she'd failed to protect the life she and Gaara had created. Panic because what if it happened all over again?

However, just like two years ago when helping her with the problem of detaching her mind, Tsunade was there every step of the way to Sakura's recovery. Sure she couldn't do much about the sex life struggles, but in her own way, she gave good advice that had really been helping her. So far, she and Gaara had been able to reach foreplay, had been able to please each other without actually having sex, but that was where it stopped.

Sakura was hoping that tonight would change that.

_If I could turn back time  
I'll go wherever you will go  
If I could make you mine  
I'll go wherever you will go_

After resting up in their condo, they would be going to Suna for their honeymoon, to visit the place Gaara was born and where his parents had grown up, before his father moved the three siblings to Konoha after their mother's death. It probably wasn't the most luxurious of places to go, nor the happiest given the past, however, it was perfect for them both. They didn't want some random island or an over–the–top city. They wanted to go somewhere that held meaning.

_I'll go wherever you will go_

It was like as soon as the song was over, as soon as Gaara pressed his lips softly to hers, Sakura was being passed along onto the next guy to dance with.

First it was Itachi, who commented that it was nice to see her smiling so much and so carefree and next, it was Naruto, who got a little insane with the dance moves, with all the twisting and turning. Sakura had had to remind him several times that not only were her heels not the best for dancing in, but neither was her dress (also slipping in that, should he damage her wedding dress, she would strangle him with the remains of it). Then came Shisui to save the day, effortlessly and swiftly taking control of the dance the moment Naruto had her spinning once more, ignoring the blond's angered yell. They had joked with each other before she was once more passed along.

Kakashi was like a mixture between Shisui and Itachi as they danced together, commenting lightly that it was good to see her so happy, before jokingly slipping in a few memorable scenes of _Icha Icha_, just in case Sakura had forgotten about them. He told her that, on the flight to Suna, she should reread as many of her copies of the _Icha Icha_ series as possible, to spice up the honeymoon.

Next came Kankuro and with their short dance, he welcomed her to the family, teasingly calling her his little sister. That was, until a certain Uchiha appeared behind him, asking Sakura to dance.

It wasn't awkward. Sakura hadn't expected it to be. The dance was slow and careful since Sasuke's wounds were still healing.

"I think this is the first time we've ever danced together." Sakura commented with a smile, gently squeezing his shoulders when he nodded in agreement. "Have the doctors told you anything?"

Sasuke gave her a small smirk. "Today is about you, Sakura."

"And I'm really glad you're here with us."

It still hurt her whenever she thought of how close she came to losing not only Gaara, but also Sasuke. So, whenever she got the chance, Sakura was always making sure everyone she cared for knew how much they meant to her. It annoyed a few people, though they couldn't deny that it was heart warming, if not a little suspicious (the first time she told Naruto, he thought he was going to be beaten up only seconds later).

He gave her waist a soft squeeze. "I know."

It felt like time was passing by quickly as they danced their way through two songs before Sasuke allowed somebody else to take over, giving her a smile before disappearing into the crowd. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Gaara dancing with Temari, nodding to something she was saying, but Kiba eventually demanded that the attention be more on him. He wanted to know where Ao would be staying for the duration of the honeymoon, to which Sakura answered that he'd be staying with Kakashi, so that he'd have friends to play with while they were gone, not to mention he'd never grow bored.

Faces began to blur as the night went on. Jiraiya, Minato, Shikamaru, Sai, Lee, Neji, Choji and even Yashamaru all came and went, dancing with her for a short amount of time before Gaara reclaimed her, barely holding back his need to kiss her as he instead pressed his forehead to hers.

"I don't want to share you anymore."

Sakura couldn't help but laugh, her features bright with her mirth. "Then don't." When his eyes opened and stared into hers, silently questioning her, Sakura's smile widened. "Since the speeches have already been made, we could always leave early, go back to our condo and…"

His hold on her hips tightened, wanting nothing more than to feel her body against his, to feel the intimacy between them that was too private to show in front of everybody else. "Let's go."

* * *

**A/N - I thought I'd leave what happens to your imaginations ;-)**

**This chapter was so difficult to write, because I've never been to a wedding. I was researching for hours and the version I used was the best one I could find and fully understand (and even then, I'm still a little confused). Hope I got it right, anyway!**

**Do any of you watch Tokyo Ghoul? Not going to lie, I cried like a bitch at the season finale. _So many feels!_**

**Anyways, just one chapter left!**


	35. Epilogue

**Chapter 35 – Epilogue**

The front door slamming open startled her for a moment, but as soon as she heard a murmur of "remove your shoes and take your jacket off", Sakura relaxed. Damn she wished he would stop kicking the front door open. It always managed to set Ao off!

And like it was on cue, Ao began to bark from his place beside her on the sofa, but as he was getting on in his years, he no longer ran straight for the door. If he sensed it was a threat, however, Ao would be on his feet and attacking in an instant, no matter how old he got.

Today was her day off and during it, Sakura had spent some time with Ino being pampered at their favourite spa before going out for some lunch. Adding the little – huge – shopping spree they'd both had truly made it a great day of relaxation.

Leaning back on the black leather corner sofa, Sakura sighed and lazily scratched Ao's head, murmuring for him to calm down. This was definitely a life of luxury, there was no denying that. Gaara had told her that they both deserved to live a life of comfortability and safety and definitely luxury after everything they'd been through not only separately, but also together. All of this, everything surrounding her in the large home she shared with her family, was proof of their hard work.

The walls in the living room were cream, seeming to make the room so much larger than it already was and there was a set of beautiful French doors Sakura enjoyed leaving open, allowing a gentle breeze to enter the living room, blowing the white laced curtains inside. Ao also liked having the doors opened as it meant he could run in and out whenever he liked.

Along with the corner sofa Sakura and Ao were both relaxing on, there was another matching leather sofa as well as a chair, although the sofa was not a corner piece like this one. They all surrounded a low, dark coffee table, one that was currently holding her glass of cold lemonade, her phone and a couple of magazines she'd picked up while out with Ino. And looking straight ahead allowed you the most calming view of the stone fireplace. It was old, traditional, but at the same time it was modern (if that even made any sense). It seemed to blend right in with the neutral colours and the wood of the shelf above the fire was dark wood, matching the wooden flooring.

There were pictures here and there, scattered around the living room. They varied from recent family pictures, to old family pictures and then to random shots with friends and other loved ones.

Like the old condo, the living room was fairly open, what with the French doors and the many windows, but unlike many years ago, Sakura didn't feel like she needed to hide, or that too much was on display. Despite her past, they lived far from the city and far from any other houses. This space was their own so that they could be whoever they wanted to be, or do whatever they wanted to do (owning sixteen acres of land allowed them peace and quiet as well as privacy).

Switching off the television which was above the fire, Sakura waited until they entered the living room before smiling up at them.

"Good day?" she asked, though sighed at the response she received.

The eight year old boy threw his bag to the ground with an angry scowl on his face and then proceeded to all but throw himself into the single arm chair (which he always exclaimed was _his_ seat, not allowing anybody else to sit in it).

When he folded his arms over his chest, looking so very much like his father with that scowl, Sakura raised an eyebrow. "I'm guessing that's a 'no', then."

In response to her words, having heard them while entering the living room after his son, Gaara also sighed. "He's been suspended."

Sakura was on her feet in an instant, eyes going wide before they narrowed dangerously, making her son flinch. "What?"

"Listen to his side of the story before you yell." Gaara told her patiently, giving her a certain look. It was one he'd picked up when he became a father, though Sakura had absolutely no idea where from. It simply happened one day and had been happening ever since. "He told me what happened on the drive home."

Knowing that it had to be serious, she closed the distance between herself and her son, kneeling down in front of him so that they were eye level. "Well? What happened, Hideki?"

Sabaku Hideki. While not their first child, he was the first born and it was safe to say that Sakura had spoiled him, though Gaara put a stop to any brat–ish behaviour the moment it started. She was the soft one (yet could still be completely terrifying) and Gaara was the stern one, the one who took absolutely no shit. However, he also had a soft side when it came to Hideki. Whenever he heard the boy was having trouble, he was on his side in an instant.

She'd been petrified during her first pregnancy after the miscarriage. Utterly afraid that they wouldn't let her keep the baby due to her mental health issues. In the end there had to be a few examinations and assessments to see if Sakura was truly up to being a parent and was capable of taking care of children (there'd been so much trouble in the news at that time about mentally unstable women killing their babies and themselves during episodes of their disorders, so it became a standard procedure to check everyone out). There had been one or two bumps, but Gaara had smoothed them out easily by simply being there and backing her up, making it known that Sakura would not be raising the children alone.

Hideki's rusty red hair fell into his eyes as he murmured quietly, "They were picking on her again. And Misaki came to me, crying about it."

Sabaku Misaki. Their second (born) child. She was six years old and could be quite the handful, as she had so much energy and so much mischief bubbling away inside of her. However, she had her problems. Perhaps not mentally, but physically and it broke Sakura's heart when the other children picked on her daughter because of her epilepsy. Her absences, before officially being diagnosed as absences only a few months ago, had annoyed one of her teachers enough for the woman to comment on it and snap her fingers in front of Misaki's face, leading to the teasing.

It had been a fairly long examination, as had been the process of being diagnosed. Sakura had known deep down in her stomach that something was wrong with Misaki. At five years old, she'd fallen off of a swing set after attempting to climb to the top to impress her friends, hitting her head on the ground. Then started the absences and for a while, Sakura had hoped they wouldn't be anything serious, that her daughter was simply bored and getting lost in that wild imagination of hers. But then came the atonic seizures, where Misaki's entire body relaxed without warning and she collapsed. Thankfully, Gaara had caught her just before she fell into the road they'd been crossing, before she could either be hit by a car, or hit her head again.

From there, Sakura had taken Misaki straight to the hospital, straight to Shizune, but nobody could do much if there was only one seizure. So they had to wait it out to see if it was simply a 'one off'.

It wasn't.

Just a few months later and Misaki had what was known as a myoclonic seizure only a mere hour after waking up. There were no words to describe how scary it was to see her daughter's body twitching and jerking like she was receiving an electric shock and the second it was over, the second Sakura was certain she was okay to travel, she took her straight back to the hospital.

A few weeks later (a month at most) and they had their diagnostic.

Epilepsy. At just the tender age of six, Misaki suffered with epilepsy, which developed after a serious head wound. By serious, Sakura meant stitches at most, but it was serious for a child. No, actually, it was serious for people of all ages and since that incident, Misaki hadn't tried to climb on top of the swings again. Instead she chose to try and climb up trees.

"You're usually more reserved than this." Sakura told him quietly, though was once again silenced by Gaara before she could continue.

"Tell your mother why you got angry."

He shook his head, blue–green eyes filling with tears and not even a second later, Sakura was pulling him into her arms and sitting down in his chair without a second thought, wanting to take his pain away. "I won't be mad."

"But… You always told me that it's bad… That…"

Slowly, so very tortuously slowly, her heart sank into her stomach. "Please tell me, Hideki. You weren't the one to act that way, so I won't be mad at you."

"One of the boys was teasing her again, with his friends watching." he whispered, hands shaking. Even at his young age, he'd picked up on the fact that it was a touchy subject, as just the mere mentioning of disrespecting the other gender would annoy his parents. "Misaki told me that the girls were joining in this time. With the teasing, I mean. But…" There was a pause and during that pause, Gaara nodded once at Hideki, telling him it was okay to continue. "But Misaki doesn't usually come to me in the playground crying, does she, mom?" Sakura shook her head. "There's this game going around in school where all the girls wearing skirts get them pulled down, like the boys do with their pants. It's a game but Misaki didn't like it and they were all laughing at her so I went to find them." His eyebrows knitted together. "And… And I hit him… And…"

"It's okay." Sakura soothed him, rubbing his back even though she felt like she was about to be sick. "Gaara, we're meeting with the principal tomorrow."

Gaara sat down on the large corner sofa. "I already made us an appointment and booked tomorrow morning off."

"Am I in trouble?" Hideki asked quietly.

"No!" she told him the moment the words left his lips. "You'll never be in trouble for defending your sister. Hideki… While the people pulling down pants and skirts may find it funny, the person on the receiving end won't. I don't want to ever hear of you or Misaki playing this so called 'game'."

He nodded quickly, telling her without words that she'd never hear anything about him doing such a thing.

* * *

"Are you picking her up tonight?"

Sakura glanced up from cutting the vegetables and then looked over her shoulder at the clock on the wall. It had just gone five in the afternoon. "Unless you want to? I can always carry on with this later."

Shaking his head, Gaara walked towards her and leaned against the black marble island Sakura was working on, watching as she continued with her job of cutting the vegetables. "It's fine. I will pick her up. Are they back in the same building, or will they be in the temporary one?"

"The former." she answered distractedly. "Her dance instructor sent all of us an email, apologising for the short notice and whatnot. Do you remember where the building is?" He nodded. "Gaara… Will you speak to her on the way home? We both know that Misaki's more of a daddy's girl."

When she placed down the knife, Gaara took Sakura's hand and pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her and sighing. "Knowing Misaki, she will have forgotten all about it by now, but yes. I'll try and speak with her, though she may feel more comfortable talking about it with you."

She couldn't help but huff with dry amusement and roll her eyes. "Misaki's five, Gaara. Right now the whole gender thing doesn't bother her much. It probably won't bother her at all, considering how open she is with you."

"Things could change."

"I suppose."

He would never admit it out loud, but Sakura knew Gaara didn't want it to change. Despite her being only six years old, he liked how Misaki told him everything. Right from what she ate for lunch at school, to how her day went and who she played with, right down to going to the bathroom and what she did in there. She was really close with her father and it was something Sakura absolutely adored seeing. Other than herself, Misaki was the only other female Gaara was so comfortable and himself around. He had no trouble in showing how much he adored his daughter, how much he adored both his children.

Breathing deeply, Sakura closed her eyes and pressed her forehead to his shoulder. Even after ten years of marriage, Gaara's hugs never lost an ounce of the comfort they surrounded her with. "It's a game." she whispered, hands holding onto his waist tightly. "They pull down each other's pants and skirts because _it's a game_–"

It angered him just as much but Gaara didn't allow it to show. "They are children, Sakura. I'm not saying it's right," he added when she pulled back, glaring up at him in disbelief, "and I'm also not saying they should not be punished, but don't forget what you have just said. At this age, the issue of gender doesn't really matter. At most, it's a whole 'boys are better than girls' thing and vice versa. Children don't understand why it's wrong."

That was true, though it was still alarming. It was still scary to think of her daughter being targeted in a 'game' such as that. The moment Hideki was born, the moment Sakura became a mother, her greatest fear was the past repeating itself. She was terrified of taking her own mother's place and watching one of her children stumble onto the path she'd previously been on (what made it even worse was that there was a chance of her children suffering with bipolar disorder, since it was in their genetics). However, Gaara always kept her mind off that petrifying fear and while they were protective of their children, they weren't overly so.

And while Gaara wanted nothing more than to find the brat who had pulled his daughter's skirt down, who had humiliated her in front of the other children, at the end of the day, they were all children. It wasn't the kid's fault his parents weren't teaching him right from wrong. However, tomorrow, that would change.

He would personally see to that.

* * *

"Papa! Watch this!"

Just like he had told Sakura, Misaki had forgotten all about what happened in the playground earlier that day. Right at that moment in time she was showing him what she'd recently been taught, more concerned with getting it right.

The look on her face, the amount of concentration, amused him and also reminded Gaara so much of Sakura. Even though Misaki had his hair and eye colour (like Hideki also did, although his eyes had a greener shade), she looked so very much like Sakura. Eye shape, the lips, the nose, _the forehead_. It was safe to say that Sakura hadn't been too thrilled to see Misaki inherited her forehead, though he couldn't see why she was complaining. It didn't even look that big on either of them.

Continuing to watch his daughter, he watched how she leaned forward and did a roll, quickly standing back onto her feet and holding her hands up in the air, a huge grin threatening to split her features in half.

"Impressive." he commented with a smirk.

Misaki ran over to him, grin still in place. "Next week we're doing backwards rolls!"

Her dance class enjoyed mixing it up a bit. From what he was aware, they did a little bit of everything at the dance centre, though Misaki's class stuck to three main types of dance: cheerleading, street dance and gymnastics. So far, however, Misaki hadn't been a part of any competitions, much to her displeasure. The dance instructor told them it was because she was a newcomer or something of the sort, though for the next competition, if she proved she was ready, then Misaki was more than welcome to participate and would even receive her very own uniform.

"Have you got everything, Misaki?" Gaara asked her, glancing around the large room.

It was filled with families and on the otherwise shiny, mixed wooden floor, were blue mats, obviously for the children who had just been doing their rolls. The wall to the far left was just one long mirror, allowing the dancers to see themselves while they performed and on the wall to the mirrored wall's right, was a huge music player. There were also a few tables behind himself, ones that were now filled with empty juice cartons and empty packets of various snacks.

When Misaki nodded, he raised a brow. "Your jacket? I know your mother made you leave with one this morning – like she does every morning."

Childish icy blue eyes widened before Misaki was running over to the pile of bags and jackets, pulling her jacket out from under somebody else's. It seemed she also remembered her school folder, because she was suddenly picking one of those up, too. As soon as she reached him once more, Gaara was holding open the door for her, walking behind Misaki as they made their way to the car.

Unfortunately, after the explosion (over ten years ago), his car had been beyond repair. It was a shame, really, as it had been his mother's and Gaara had liked having part of her with him, as strange as that most likely sounded. There had been the option of buying another Chevy Impala, but it wasn't the same. It hadn't been her car. So instead, Gaara had been buying a new car every few years. The most recent was his Range Rover Sport in the colour black, though he'd bought it thinking of his children more than anything (Hideki had demanded that they get this car, because he liked how big and 'cool looking' it was).

"Can I sit up front with you, papa?"

He nodded though she knew not to immediately sit in the front. It was with surprising patience that Misaki waited for Gaara to move her car seat from the back seat and into the front, though the second it was secure and in place, she reached out to him without hesitation. It was quite a stretch for her to get into the car, after all, so Gaara lifted her easily and placed her into her car seat, strapping her in properly and testing the seat by tugging on it a few times.

Dumping her school folder and jacket onto the back seat, Gaara climbed in, taking a moment to buckle his seat belt and put on the radio for Misaki before driving off.

Like her mother, Misaki enjoyed music a lot. At the moment she listened to everything Gaara listened to and even though she couldn't fully understand some of the words being sung, she sang along loudly, mumbling at some parts before belting out others. It never failed to make him smile.

However, she would not be singing along just yet. Gaara had to speak with her first. "What did you do today?"

"I played with my friends for a bit and then with Hideki–nii–san."

Friends. Was Misaki talking about the kids who had been picking on her? Part of him was torn. What if she truly thought they were her friends? Or what if Misaki was lying to him, still feeling humiliated about what happened? Damn it. He hated bullies. "Hideki told your mother and me what happened, Misaki."

She frowned for a moment before that frown disappeared and she looked down at her legs, remembering what had happened. "They were being mean again."

"Your friends?"

Misaki shook her head, her messy red hair flopping around. "They're not my friends."

Ah. So Misaki had been talking about different people. "Why weren't your friends with you when they were being mean?"

"We were playing tag," she murmured quietly, still looking down at her legging–clad legs, "and I was 'it', but when I was chasing them, the others came over."

It was horrible seeing his daughter so upset, seeing her bottom lip trembling. Misaki rarely cried, after all. She was very much like himself in that regard. The tears simply didn't form unless she was truly hurting. Sure, there was the occasional tantrum when something wasn't going her way, but like her mother, it was only an angry tantrum and not a crying tantrum. Hell, one time, when she didn't like something, Misaki had held her breath for so long that she'd turned blue in the face. She just didn't cry unless she was really hurting.

Reaching out, he pushed her shoulder length red hair behind her ear, wanting to see her face. "Hideki stood up for you, though, didn't he?"

Her blue eyes widened with admiration, with happiness and Gaara was so very grateful for that. "You should have seen him, papa! He scared them so badly that I thought they were going to pee themselves!"

Gaara chuckled.

Misaki adored her older brother and, in a way, it reminded him of the bond Sakura had once told him about. The bond between Sasuke and Itachi. Hideki, as the older brother, was so very protective of his younger sister and in return, Misaki practically worshipped her older brother, she looked at him with great respect and trust and admiration. Just like Itachi and Sasuke.

Two years after marrying Sakura, Sabaku Corporation had gone into business with the Uchiha's company. It was what their parents had been in the process of doing before they died, so he and Sasuke had decided to continue with those plans and now, their businesses were so much better off for the change. So much more business came flooding in that, for a while, it had been difficult to keep up with, but now it had all settled down and Gaara had adjusted to the new workload.

That didn't mean he didn't spend time with his family, though, because he did. He still had every Wednesday off work as well as the entire weekend. On Wednesdays, Sakura also had the day off, so he made sure that Wednesdays were _their_ days. Somebody would babysit the children for them (nearly always Naruto and Hinata), and they would go out Tuesday evening before relaxing all day Wednesday. And then, on the weekends, Gaara always made sure that they were doing something. He just wanted to give his children the childhood he never had. It was as simple as that.

The children enjoyed staying with their uncle Naruto and aunt Hinata. It was mostly because Hinata always made them her home made chocolate whenever they went over, but also because of how playful Naruto was with them. They also enjoyed playing with the Uzumaki's children, too. Little Boruto and Himawari. While not exactly the same age (as Naruto and Hinata hadn't married until two or three years after he and Sakura had wed, and apparently Hinata's family had been extremely against children out of wedlock) the children still got on well.

Sometimes, however, if the Uzumaki family was busy, Misaki and Hideki stayed with their aunt Ino and uncle Sai, or sometimes with Itachi. It all depended on who was busy or not to have the children for an entire night and take them to school the next morning.

It was around a year after themselves that Ino and Sai got married, Gaara recalled vaguely. He hadn't been all too interested in that marriage, though because Ino was very dear to Sakura, he had put on a suit and attended the wedding with her, politely congratulating the couple on their marriage. They had one child, Inojin. He was around Hideki's age, Gaara thought, though he wasn't entirely sure. Those two didn't get on as well as Hideki and Boruto did, because there was always something for the two to argue about. They cared for each other, yes, but there was definitely a rivalry between the two.

"Papa?" When he hummed, glancing away from the road for a second to show her she had his attention, Misaki continued. "Is nii–san in trouble?"

"No." Gaara didn't sigh even though he wanted to. "While he shouldn't have hit that boy, he was standing up for you. And a brother will always be protective of his sister, no matter how small the problem or how scary the problem is."

That hadn't been the case with Temari for him, though. Well, not entirely. Temari didn't need him or Kankuro to be protective of her, because she could be pretty damn scary herself and only a fool would wrong her. Five years ago, she'd finally married Shikamaru and they also had a child together, Shikadai. It was always pleasant to see their son. While he was the exact copy of Shikamaru, Shikadai definitely had his mother's eyes. Like his father, he believed a lot of things to be 'troublesome'.

"And I stand up for him too, right?"

"Of course, but do not go starting any fights, Misaki." he warned her quietly, turning onto the highway. "While today was," inexcusable and unforgivable, "a bad day for you both, it is over now. Your mother and I will be speaking with the principal tomorrow about it and you know how your mother is."

If he hadn't been driving, Gaara would have rolled his eyes at the mischievous look in her eyes, at the laugh she let out.

She knew exactly what her mother was like when it came to protecting her children.

* * *

"A–Ah, Sabaku–san, I–"

"No, don't talk over me." Sakura snapped, hands coming down onto the man's desk with a harsh bang. "Yesterday, my daughter was involved in an incident that I find downright disgusting and she was humiliated and laughed at by all the other children! Hideki was standing up for his sister and _you_ refused to hear his side of the story!"

The man sat at his desk was sweating profusely, his dark brown eyes staring up at her widely and with fear. The dark hair atop his head was thin and wispy, appearing to be receding, also. This man was supposedly the head master of her children's school and when you added the cheap grey suit, he was definitely nothing special. Hell, Sarutobi Hiruzen had been twice the man's age and just one look into his eyes had made even the toughest of students scared. This man was nothing.

Sat in one of two seats opposite the head master's, was Gaara. He remained silent, watching as his wife demanded to be heard like she always had. It was the only way, really. According to Hideki, the man hadn't even bothered to ask him for his side of the story and when he tried to tell him it, the man had cut him off, saying he didn't have time for 'troublemakers'.

"Call the other children's parents." she demanded. "I want to speak with them."

"That won't be necessary–"

"Oh, really? Then how would you feel about this reaching the news? It won't look very good when people hear about _six year old girls_ having their _skirts pulled down_ so everyone else can _laugh at them_!"

All colour drained from the head master's face at not only her threat, but also the fact that Sakura was raising her voice. "Sabaku–san, please calm down–"

This was the woman who had been taught by Senju Tsunade. And while studying under Tsunade, Sakura had become more fierce, she became more determined to be heard instead of pushed aside and ignored. She did not let her mental health issues weigh her down any longer, nor did she let her past take her away from the present. Instead, Sakura used both to further herself in her career. Not by seeking sympathy or pity, but using her life experiences to help others.

It was phenomenal how far his wife had come, Gaara thought as he watched the beautiful, intimidating sight she made.

In the past ten years, Sakura had come to terms with her past and had accepted it. Sure, there were still some moments when she was still suffering (the loss of her parents, the loss of their first child, Zaku using her body to make money and Kabuto raping her), but she put all her effort into coping, into accepting it for what it was. And to do that, Sakura had written everything down in a diary of sorts, forcing herself to go over and remember everything that had happened. That included the horrific scenes on the tapes that she had no recollection of.

After re–watching the tapes, after writing everything down, Sakura went through the diary many times. It had all been difficult for her and more often than not, she would wake up in a cold sweat, tears streaming down her cheeks and body shaking so badly that Gaara would have to hold her still. But he helped her through it, made her take her time instead of rushing through it.

After a year of thinking endlessly about it, she published her diary for the entire world to read.

Gaara could still remember her nerves, could still remember feeling them for her! That diary, that book, shared her entire life and story with the world. It made her open and vulnerable. But at the same time, it showed people how strong his wife, his Sakura, really was. She refused to be kicked down, refused to just roll over and die. Haruno Sakura, now known as Sabaku Sakura, was a fighter and would be right until the end.

The book sold millions of copies and it also brought her a lot of attention, but other than publicising her book, Sakura refused to do any interviews. She simply didn't want to do them. Also, instead of using the help that was offered to her not only by Gaara's company, but also Itachi and Sasuke's, she did it all by herself.

Right at the beginning of the book, she wrote that she was not to be seen as a victim. What Sakura was, was a fighter.

It was incredible the impact her story had on others. Many people stepped forward, came specifically to her, for help. And just like Sakura had always wanted, she was powerful. She didn't live off of his salary and she no longer spent his money. Sure, they paid the bills together, but Sakura earned enough now not to rely on others. She was known as Sabaku Sakura, not as Sabaku Gaara's wife.

As well as the success of her book and the level she was working at, Sakura had also completed another dream of hers. After three years of waiting for planning permissions and waiting for anything else they'd need, she had finally, _finally_ opened up her parents' home to teenagers and children who were either homeless or suffering. All staff who were hired to care for the children had to go through an interview with Sakura herself. They were also paid by Sakura with the inheritance her parents left for her. And, every couple of weeks or so, she would take the children there to visit those living in the house (who absolutely adored having visits from Hideki and Misaki).

It had been hard for her at first, but seeing the progress some of them had made, seeing how far they'd come, made it all worth it. What Sakura offered them wasn't only a safe place to live, wasn't only food on the table or clothes on their backs. She offered them futures. She paid for their education, while also teaching them to live independently at a suitable age, so that they'd be ready for the world when they were officially classed as adults.

"Don't tell me to calm down when I had my son in tears yesterday, not fully understanding what he did wrong!"

Glancing down at the desk to get a name, for he had never wasted his time before to learn it, Gaara looked back up at the man with an unblinking, unwavering gaze. "Hisashi, try to see this from our perspective. Yesterday I was called while at work, having somebody telling me that my son was involved in a fight. Nothing more was said, just that he was in a fight and I was to collect him immediately, for he'd been suspended." There was a pause, his eyes hardening when Hisashi tried to cut him off. "When Hideki and I were alone, I asked for _his_ side of the story."

"He could have been lying–"

"My son does not lie." Gaara cut him off firmly. "Especially not to me." During the dark glare Gaara settled on the man, Sakura sat beside him in her own chair. "Hideki informed me of everything that happened, right from where he was involved. My daughter – who is only six years old – came to him on the playground, crying about the others in her class picking on her. When he found out that a boy had pulled her skirt down, humiliating her in front of everyone else, he did the first thing that came to mind: defended his younger sister."

"That does not excuse violence." Hisashi told him. "He hit the boy–"

"Do you have any sisters, Hisashi?" he cut him off once more. "Cousins? Daughters? Maybe even a wife?"

In response, Hisashi reluctantly nodded. "Two sisters and four daughters."

"And if you heard that one day, one of them had been involved in an incident such as this, had been humiliated the way Misaki was, what would you do?"

"Well, I would–"

"Defend them. Do not try lying to me. Not only am I a father, I am also a brother and a husband. The first thing I wanted to do when Hideki told me what happened, was find the boy and make sure he was punished, or at the very least, tell his parents."

"Our children are raised to know that behaviour like that, is not tolerated." Sakura added, a stern look on her face. "Not only that, but should they ever act that way, we will find a suitable punishment. No more after school clubs and no more games consoles. Things such as those. The first time Hideki ever got into a fight, one that he started himself, we took away all of these things and also grounded him. Since then, he has learned his lesson and this is the first fight in two years that he's been in – outside of his martial arts class, of course."

Narrowing his eyes a fraction, Gaara continued. "Misaki has also been raised this way. By now, it is most likely known that she can be talkative, loud and hyperactive. Not only that, but she has an angry streak within her. Over the years, despite only being six years old, Misaki had been taught to push aside that instinctual urge to hit back. Instead, she finds her older brother and tells him what's happened."

Hisashi sighed, rubbing his temples. "You have to understand that this is a very good school with an extremely high reputation. I can't have fighting going on–"

"But you allow your students to be bullied and humiliated." Sakura's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You allow them to be sexually harassed. Whether the child who is doing those things knows it or not is irrelevant. At the end of the day, my daughter had her skirt pulled down while the others all looked on and laughed."

If he was pale before, than there was no word to describe how pale Hisashi suddenly was. "Sexual harassment is a strong accusation to make, Sabaku–san, please–"

"Then what would you call it? Harmless fun?" Gaara questioned. "Would a teenager call it harmless fun if an older man or woman suddenly pulled her skirt, or his pants, down? Would a woman think of it as harmless fun being humiliated in such a way? There is no excusing what was done. They are children, yes, but that is not an excuse. They should be taught that behaviour like that is dangerous."

The man leaned forward, resting his forearms against his desk. "Listen, I know that you are a victim of such abuse yourself, Sabaku–san, but do not try pushing such things–"

Sakura's expression suddenly emptying had him cutting himself off, unsure of how to continue.

Slowly counting back from twenty, Sakura looked away from him, willing her anger to become more ignorable. To do this she examined the room, though was immediately bored with what she found. It was all the same style of wood – oak, she believed – and it was filled with nothing but awards for how great a school it apparently was. And behind Hisashi was a huge window, one that granted him a view of the field that was usually used for sports. It was large and the grass was a beautiful shade of green.

"Do not bring up my past like I'm still stuck in it." Sakura eventually stated calmly. "I have accepted what happened many years ago and I have moved forward with my husband and our family. I will admit that what happened to me isn't something I can forget and I will admit that sometimes, I fear the same may happen to either Hideki or Misaki, but I refuse to dwell on it too long."

Narrowing her eyes, Sakura did the same as what Hisashi had done and leaned forward, watching how he quickly backed up despite the fact there was a huge desk between them. "My children will not be coming back to this pathetic excuse of a school. Not only that, but you should probably expect to see this in the papers very soon." Standing up with Gaara doing the same, Sakura gave him a sweet smile. "I am not a victim, Hisashi–san. I am a mother and a wife and I will do anything to protect my family," she placed her hands on the desk, leaning forward with that same, sweet smile, honestly terrifying the man, "even if it means trampling all over you and your precious school in the process."

Standing up straight, she took Gaara's hand in her own and began to walk out of the office, calling over her shoulder, "Have fun with your last few days of being head master, Hisashi–san!"

* * *

After hearing Sakura had the rest of the day off while Gaara had gone back to work, somebody very dear to her turned up, holding a baby carrier as he did.

"Itachi!" She greeted when he appeared from the hallway, having been given a key quite a while ago. "Is that…?"

He nodded once, pride obvious in his eyes as he sat beside Sakura on the sofa, resting the baby carrier on the coffee table. At that moment in time, there was a fleecy, pink blanket covering what was on the inside and Sakura could probably guess why that was. To keep her out of the press. While not wanting to keep her a secret, they didn't want her to already be in the papers and gossip magazines. Itachi was simply keeping her identity a secret.

"Can I hold her?" Sakura asked as Itachi pulled the blanket away, revealing the baby to her.

Once more, Itachi nodded, unbuckling the safety belts and gently taking her out of the baby carrier, handing her over slowly. "Support her head–"

"I know, Itachi." She chuckled at his over–protectiveness. "I _am _a mother, you know?"

It amused her greatly when a faint blush painted his cheeks, but other than that, Itachi showed no signs of being embarrassed.

"Such a beautiful little Uchiha!" Sakura cooed, stroking the baby's cheek tenderly. "And you already have Mikoto–san's eyes, you lucky thing."

Itachi smiled softly, eyes glued to the baby laying in Sakura's arms. She was only weeks old and Itachi had already noticed the same thing as Sakura. Part of his mother was in that baby.

"So," she smirked up at him, "does Sasuke know you brought his daughter all the way out here?"

His smile was still in place as his eyes tore from his niece's and up to Sakura's. "I am watching her for the day to give them a break."

Around two or three years after the explosion, Itachi finally had enough evidence to send Akatsuki to prison and he did so without hesitation. Of course, during those three years, he gave Shisui whatever information he had to capture Hidan and Kakuzu, who were both arrested mere weeks after the explosion. All men received lengthy sentences and even though she'd thought of the two as friends in the short year she got to know them, after discovering it was Deidara who supplied Sasuke with explosives, Sakura had been unable to forgive the blond. Even now, part of her still hated him. Yes, she was grateful for all he'd done, but he still almost killed Sasuke. Using a well known metaphor: he may not have pulled the trigger, but he handed Sasuke the gun. It was unforgivable.

From what little she knew of the Akatsuki lot, they were all still in prison and doing their time without too much of a problem. And since bringing them all to justice, Shisui had been promoted, though refused to take all the credit for the work that had been done. Itachi had done so much more, after all.

As well as this, at Naruto and Hinata's wedding, Sasuke met his future wife. Who? Well, after Moegi and Konohamaru became an item, it left a certain Hyuuga lonely. Hyuuga Hanabi. It was definitely a couple that surprised Sakura, but seeing the way Hanabi looked at Sasuke, seeing a smile on that woman's face for the first time ever, took away all doubts. And now here they were, married for two years and they now have a daughter who was only weeks old.

Don't get her wrong, because it had taken Sasuke a while to open up to Hanabi. At first, while he was attracted to her, he'd been wary of opening his heart to her (not wanting to be stuck hurting all over again should something happen). But the Hyuuga was definitely determined and persistent, Sakura would give her that. She refused to give up on Sasuke and accepted every part of him. She didn't care about his mental health issues, didn't care about his burns. She just wanted him to be happy.

And finally, Uchiha Sasuke was happy.

"I love her." Sakura cooed, still stroking her cheek even as Itachi reached over and did the same to the other. "I haven't had the chance to speak with Sasuke since a couple of weeks ago. How's he holding up?"

"She already has him wrapped around her little finger." he commented.

"As she does you."

Itachi chuckled and nodded once. "That she does."

Over the years, Itachi had been involved with several women, although did not settle down with any of them. There was always something that prevented him from doing so, whether it be the business, his brother's recovery, or the birth of his adorable youngest niece. He was content with his life the way it was and didn't want to search for more. He felt lucky enough simply being a part of all the families surrounding him.

"How is Misaki–chan and Hideki–kun?" Itachi asked, glancing around the spacious living room. "You said there was an incident at school?"

Holding the baby, who was staring up with wide, dark fascinated eyes at the sight of Sakura's hair, she did not allow herself to show her anger and instead continued to fuss over Sasuke's daughter. "There was, but I think I may have sorted it now."

He raised a dark eyebrow. "So you threatened the head master."

"More like forcibly expressed my opinion." Sakura countered with a smile, listening to the giggling baby in her arms. Her giggles continued whenever pink hair grazed her face or her fingers, just out of her reach. Misaki had also had a fascination of her hair when she was this age, too. "What's her name?"

"Yumiko."

"_Child of beauty_." she commented. "It suits her."

"Where are they now?"

Reluctantly, Sakura tore her eyes away from the captivating sight of Uchiha Yumiko and looked up at Itachi. "On the way to the school, we dropped them off at Naruto and Hinata's. It's a Tuesday anyway, so they were going to be there tonight. Hinata works from home most of the time and said she didn't mind looking after them."

He nodded once, accepting the story. Hideki and Misaki were just as much his nephew and niece as Yumiko was, and Itachi was just as protective of them as he was the baby. Hearing the story of what had happened to his eldest niece angered him, though he knew that Sakura and Gaara would have sorted it.

"They're moving schools." Sakura told him, gently handed Yumiko over to him when Itachi reached for her. "To the one Ino sends Inojin to. Also, Gaara and I will be speaking with the papers soon about it."

That seemed fair in his mind. Other parents had a right to know what sort of 'games' were going on there. The school Hideki and Misaki had once gone to was supposed to be the best in Konoha and only talented children were welcomed. That wasn't to say other children were any less important, but this school was designed specifically for each over–achieving, talented child. Most parents couldn't afford to send their children there, while other children didn't meet the standards.

It was such a beautiful sight seeing Yumiko being held tenderly in Itachi's arms, watching how the baby looked up to him with wide eyes. Seeing how careful he was of holding her, seeing how gently he stroked her cheek, all warmed her heart. And it was very clear that Yumiko would be very dear to him, as was Misaki and Hideki.

"When does Hideki have his martial arts class?"

"Thursday."

Looking away from Yumiko and over to Sakura, he raised an eyebrow. "I would like to treat them both to dango on Friday after school. Do you mind?"

A warm smile pulled at her lips. "No, no. It's fine! Misaki was asking this morning when she next gets to see her uncle." Then, teasingly she added, "Do you think you can handle the two of them alone?"

Itachi smirked at her. "They bring life to the house."

Her smile faded ever so slightly as she watched him fuss over the baby once more. For the past ten years, Sakura had attempted to set Itachi up with someone, but it never worked out. And the thought of him being alone in that large house never failed to upset her. Since he was now married and had a child of his own, Sasuke had moved out and closer to the city, closer to work, leaving Itachi alone. Of course, he wasn't alone for long, as Shisui moved in not too long after to keep his cousin company in that big, old house. But that was beside the point!

"Itachi–"

"I will find someone when I am ready, Sakura." he told her patiently, giving her a smile. "For now, I am happy with what I have and have no reason to change it."

Was she really that predictable? She sighed, moving a little closer and leaning against him, joining Itachi in fussing over the baby again. She was too adorable to resist. "Fine, but the moment you change your mind, my secretary recently broke up with her boyfriend and–"

"Sakura."

Again, Sakura sighed.

* * *

"The kids are out."

Sakura glanced up at Gaara from her book, raising an eyebrow.

He refused to shuffle, or to fidget nervously. "…You said you would do it when they left and we were alone."

It was so amusing seeing Gaara nervous because it was such a rare thing to happen.

Bookmarking the page she was on, Sakura set her book down on the bed, though did so reluctantly. She'd just gotten to an amazing part where her favourite character had been about to choose who she wanted to marry. The man who was nothing but kind to her, always there for her, or the powerful woman who made her feel fragile and vulnerable, but also so very protected and safe. It had taken Sakura a while to get into the book and it was surprisingly steamy, too, but there was no denying it was a good read and definitely worth the price.

Standing, she placed her hands on her hips. "You sure?"

Gaara gave her a blank look, holding up a paper bag.

It was with a sigh that she took it and entered their en–suite bathroom. While not as large as the bathroom in the old condo, it was just as luxurious. Right in the centre of the bathroom was a traditional claw–foot bathtub, which was stationed on a platform, of sorts. And then, to the left of the room, was a spacious shower, which had a fairly long counter opposite it. The counter held two sinks, with one stretch mirror above it and, like their old condo, there were cabinets beneath the sinks, although Sakura had plenty of her creams and makeup on the counter (obviously, on her side of it).

"Give me a few minutes." Sakura told him and shut the door.

* * *

Gaara stood in their bedroom, (what he hoped to be secretly) feeling incredibly nervous and that nervousness only increased as the en–suite bathroom door swung open a few minutes later and Sakura stepped out, biting her lip.

"Well?" he asked warily.

She smiled. "I'm pregnant."

The smile was returned by his own.

It had been a joint decision a few months ago that they would try for another baby and although it hadn't simply happened overnight, Sakura was so very grateful that it hadn't taken years.

While she and Gaara were definitely still attracted to one another and definitely still felt the same need, same craving, to be intimate with each other, being parents and full–time workers left them with very little free time. And when they _did_ have free time, they were exhausted from… Well, being parents and full–time workers. However, obviously, they found the time to be with each other in such a way. Every Tuesday night and sometimes even all day Wednesday, too. More often than not (it depended on how much the kids tired them out), they had the weekend, as well.

Ten years ago they had been having sex two, perhaps even three times a day. Sadly, that was no longer the case. But they were still happy. You didn't need to have sex to be intimate with the person you love. Sometimes, a simple kiss was enough for her. Why? Because look at the family they had! Sakura honestly couldn't ask for more.

Gaara reached out to her, pulling her closer and kissing Sakura's forehead. "Thank you."

Even though it had been a joint decision, it had been Gaara who brought up the topic of babies. It was him who asked her if she wanted more. She hadn't been surprised in the least because Sakura knew Gaara wanted a large family, a happy one. He wanted them to have everything he didn't as a child.

Instead of replying, she cupped Gaara's face and tugged it down against hers, kissing him softly.

* * *

"Mom?"

"Papa?"

The two children had been playing outside with Ao, throwing his ball as far and as hard as they possibly could for him, until Sakura and Gaara called them inside. It wasn't time for dinner, that much they knew. It was a Saturday, after all. Saturdays were take–out days and they got to choose their own meal. They hadn't chosen them yet.

With a frown, since he had been having fun with Ao, Hideki sat in his chair, folding his arms over his chest and slouching. Misaki, on the other hand, sat on the floor in front of him, legs crossed and swaying ever so slightly with restlessness. That was normal. It was only around four o'clock in the afternoon and usually, she wouldn't be calming down until at least six o'clock.

Sakura and Gaara had taken the children to a petting zoo earlier, feeling nothing but warmth when they saw their happiness and their excitement. Weekends were always spent together because of their jobs and lack of free time.

It had been a month since the incident at their previous school and since then, they had moved schools as well as reported what had happened. At first they kept it quiet, leading the head master into a false sense of security (Sakura's plan) and then they attacked. Well, they informed the papers. Since then, the school had gone through many inspections and the head master had been replaced after a vote in the parent's group.

Also, during the month that had gone by, she and Gaara had gone for a scan.

She was definitely pregnant.

According to the midwife, the baby was growing healthily and so far, everything looked good and the baby had a strong heartbeat. However, Sakura was a little further along than she'd thought. Right at that moment in time, she was ten (going onto eleven) weeks pregnant, whereas before she'd thought to be only a few weeks gone.

Picking up her handbag from the side of the sofa, Sakura plucked out the scan picture, smiling when Gaara's eyes immediately fell to it. Despite how out of character it probably seemed, he was definitely a family man. Sure, he had very little patience for others' kids, but for theirs, he was nothing but patient. Stern, but in his own way, loving.

"This," she turned the picture around and held it up for the children to see, "is your little brother or sister."

There was a pause before Misaki was quickly crawling forward across the floor and resting her hands on Sakura's knees, stretching up to get a closer look. In the end, Sakura had to point out where the baby was, for the girl couldn't find it at all, and when she did, Misaki frowned.

"Why doesn't she look like me?"

"She – or he – is still growing, Misaki." Gaara told her. "When the baby is born, they will look more like you and your brother."

Hideki sighed, his own frown in place. "I want a brother."

"You might have one–" Sakura smiled, though was cut off.

"No!" Misaki argued. "I want a sister!"

"I already have a sister! I want a brother."

"I already have a brother!"

Glancing up at Gaara, she smiled softly. "Think they've accepted it?"

He nodded and after a moment, pointed over to the large dog laying in front of the fire. "Now you have to tell _him_."

Lifting his head, Ao seemed to look Sakura straight in the eye before huffing.

Her soft smile brightened. "Think you can handle one more, Ao?"

He barked once and pulled himself to his feet, trotting over to her with his stump wagging the entire way. Ao was getting on in his years now, but he still had so much life inside of him when playing with the children. And while they'd been a little uncertain at first (what with the size of him and possibly feeling left out), Ao was so very protective over his family. If one of the kids were crying, he'd start howling with them before knocking them over and licking their faces until they laughed (something he'd always done for her).

Shuffling past Misaki (who was now in a heated debate with her older brother about whether it would be a girl or a boy), Ao sat down in front of his owners, staring up at Sakura and Gaara and tilting his head to the side. The way his mouth was hanging open made it look like he was grinning, much to her delight and Gaara's happiness. That was his acceptance. Even though he was a dog, Ao's acceptance was still important to them, to Sakura.

This was her family.

And like she had stated before:

She would do anything and give anything to protect them.

* * *

**THE END**

* * *

**A/N – It's over! It's finally over. Quite a few people have mentioned that the last few chapters seem a little rushed and I understand completely. In all honesty, at the time of receiving all those guest account reviews (the ones who were doing nothing but criticising the story and how 'heartless' I am), I kind of lost interest in this story, though kept writing because I hate when stories are left unfinished. Meh, maybe I should have taken a break from this story but knowing me, I probably would have forgotten about it or just eventually said "screw it" and left it.**

**Every single day on my way to college, I stand outside a café waiting for my bus and every single day, a quote inside the café always captures my attention. **"_Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning how to dance in the rain._"**It reminds me so much of this story and **_They Never Knew_** for some reason. Sakura has had to go through so much pain and loss and instead of breaking (even though she came so close to in many parts) she learned how to adjust, how to overcome the pain.**

**There's going to be a prequel, by the way. Quite a few of you have shown interest in reading what happened _before_ The Never Knew, back to before Sakura was attacked and how her relationship with Sasuke started and what it was like. The story will be in Sasuke's point of view and is called '**Discoveries**'. You know, so it'd be '**Discoveries**' '**They Never Knew**' '**Until It Was Too Late**'. Kind of proud of myself for that one! I'm not too sure when **_Discoveries_** will be posted, so keep an eye out for it! So far I have the first two chapters written and I'm planning on starting the third soon. It's only going to be around 15-20 chapters long.**

**Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed **_Until It Was Too Late_**. Despite some of the horrible guest account reviews, there were some parts of this story that I enjoyed writing (not in a sick way, since the story is quite painful). I just love drama, basically.**


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